Brenda and I sang Happy Birthday my step-mom on Sunday. During the last phrase we both decided to sing harmony. Brenda stayed on key. I tried to adjust my key to fit hers not noticing she had switched to harmony. The sound resembled a cat fight. I'm not good with dissonance.
The Wikipedia article on dissonance quotes Roger Kamien as writing, "An unstable tone combination is a dissonance; its tension demands an onward motion to a stable chord." Less eloquently we might say, "Hearing bad harmony makes us want to get on past the sour chord." The idea of dissonance motivating forward movement fits interestingly with today's parable.
Our concept of chicks under wing strikes a chord of comfort and peace. "Your house is left to you desolate." Not so comforting. This note sounds more like Isaiah warning the Israelites that their "great houses" and "fine mansions" will be left desolate. (Isaiah 5:8-9) Jesus motivates those who will listen to avoid repeating their history. Sadly, few in Isaiah's day or in Jesus' day moved from their stubborn positions. During Lent we remind ourselves to surrender, to come home to Jesus. How does this dissonant parable motivate you to move?
