Good Vibrations
The quietest place on earth is an anechoic chamber belonging to Orfield Laboratories, somewhere in Minnesota. Companies use it to measure how loud their products are. It’s so quiet that sound is actually measured in negative decibels. The background noise is -9.4dba.
The absolute quiet is disorienting for humans. Anyone who stays in this silent room longer than 30 minutes requires a chair because of the way background noise, our ears, and sound create conditions for balance and body control. No one has lasted in the room longer than 45 minutes. The stillness amplifies every normal body sound creating an experience only Edgar Allen Poe could imagine.
We often overlook the sounds that surround us, but NASA has been listening to and recording a different kind of sound… the rhythm and music from our own star. When anything material moves, waves travel through it… vibrations that create sound. Our sun is in constant motion and making noise from vibrations of different frequencies. Scientists are analyzing the vibrations caused by the sun to understand more about how the sun works. According to NASA heliophysicist Alex Young, “The sun is not silent. The low, pulsing hum of our star’s heartbeat allows scientists to peer inside, revealing huge rivers of solar material flowing around.” You can listen to the sun here.
Take the time to read and reflect on Psalm 19. It reminds us, “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known… their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world” (Psalm 19:1-4 NLT)
After rejoicing in the glorious work of God displayed in the sky and space, the Psalm continues by shining a light on the Word of God that brings light to our darkened lives: “The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul… The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living” (Psalm 19:7-8 NLT).
Every action, every movement we take… whether within our soul where no one else can see or externally and clearly visible, creates a vibration, a sound, a song. That’s why David ended this Psalm with the prayer, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14 NLT). What is the song that our lives are composing?
Let’s continue echoing God’s love together,
Titus O’Bryant
Teaching & Executive Pastor of Ministries