1. Does music shape our character?

“I like beautiful melodies telling me terrible things,” said Tom Waits, the American musician, songwriter and composer. This statement draws our attention to the human tendency to succumb to the allure of music and how it can so powerfully shape our minds and hearts. Although there are many reasons why music is good and how it can refresh us, music can also be dangerous to our souls. Waits’ statement is a good indication of the tremendous negative effect that music can have on our souls. The kind of music we listen to can shape the way we think, feel and behave, inevitably forming our character.

If the power of music is such, how does it form our character? Studies have shown that music not only activates the parts of our brain that allow us to enjoy it, but it also synchronises neural networks so that our emotions connect to our bodily movements. This is why, when we hear a familiar beat, we can’t help but move to it. Music also strengthens our brain networks, which enhances our cognitive and emotional capacities. By engaging multiple areas of the brain simultaneously, including those responsible for auditory processing, motor control, and emotional regulation, music can integrate our experiences of well-being and learning. In this way, music has the power to rewire our brain in a way that enhances our mental and emotional capacities. In short, it impacts our decision-making capacities, affecting the choices we make, which in turn determine how we experience life and the kind of people we become.  

Moreover, can the words have any effect? Yes, the music we hear and the lyrics associated with it can have a mutually powerful effect on us. This is because music activates the limbic system, which is involved in emotion, motivation and long-term memory. This can influence how the words affect our emotions. Moreover, good music often triggers the release of feel-good chemicals like dopamine, which can enhance our emotional experience of the lyrics. And if the words contain false or negative messages that can alter the way we think about certain things, then they can have a tremendous effect on how we behave. As Waits says, we can begin to like and embrace the ‘terrible’ things these words portray. It can eventually hurt our mental and emotional well-being and even shape how we act and treat other people. So, music can impact our emotional experiences by simultaneously impacting the way we think and behave, inevitably forming our character. 

Also, hearing a certain song ‘on repeat’ can further stick the words of that song into our memory, thereby impacting what we believe about ourselves and the world around us. When we repeatedly hear words connected to music, our brain forms certain neural pathways that deeply ingrain those words into our consciousness. It can shape our thoughts, feelings and perceptions and subtly influence our beliefs and behaviours over time. Whether the lyrics are positive  or negative, their repeated presence in our minds can alter our character and worldview, surely determining how we grow and who we become. 

Therefore, it is crucial to understand the power of music to shape our minds and hearts. We cannot underestimate it. While it has the potential to cater to and enrich our emotional well-being, it can also influence us negatively, especially if the messages that it carries are dangerous.

2. Is meekness a strength?

There is something wrong with how we understand the virtue of meekness, says Jordan Peterson, a famous Canadian psychologist and cultural critic. He makes this remark about the New Testament verse on meekness, which says that the meek are blessed, for they shall inherit the earth (Matt.). While he does not say that the statement is problematic, he does argue that the problem lies in how we interpret the word ‘meek’. He points to how we, as a society, mistakenly equate meekness with harmlessness, which reduces virtue to being incompetent or weak.

The first view upholds harmlessness as a virtue, suggesting that a meek person is someone who does not have the capacity to harm anyone and remains passive even when he has to take proper action to solve a problem. The second view defines meekness as incompetence and implies that a meek person is someone who does not stand out, is not assertive, and is easily overlooked. According to Peterson, both of these interpretations are flawed and do not capture what it really means to be meek. But if meekness is neither a harmless nor a weak virtue, then what is it? 

Peterson first defines meekness as a form of strength. He explains this using a metaphor, according to which meekness is when men have swords and know how to use them, but also have the strength to keep them sheathed. In other words, meekness is not about being incapable of wielding power but rather having the ability to exercise power and choosing to restrain it. This allows us to rethink our understanding of this virtue. It helps us see correctly that meekness is an attitude of the will that governs our power and the ability to use such power well, and not a consequence of being ‘spineless’. 

Is Perterson’s insight new? Yes and no. While his interpretation of meekness is not novel, it does offer us a renewed perspective as it parallels an understanding of this virtue in the Christian tradition. Meekness, as it is understood through the New Testament, is a blessed quality and enables those who practice this virtue to inherit the earth. We see this evident in Jesus’ life. Jesus, who possessed unrivalled power, chose to let people mock, shame, and even crucify him. Despite having the power to vanquish his enemies, he refrained from using it. Instead, he exhibited strength, not only to keep himself from wielding his full power but also to give himself away to others. His actions help us understand the true meaning of meekness: a willing restraint of power to uphold the lives and significance of other people. 

Therefore, meekness should not be understood as mere harmlessness or incompetence. Instead, it should be recognized as the strength that combines power with control. It is the capacity to exert influence and authority in such a way that such power is fully under one’s control and restraint. It takes both wisdom and strength to embody such a virtue. Jordan Peterson’s challenge to the popular notions of this virtue highlights that its true nature is not about being powerless or passive; it is about possessing power and choosing to control it. His insights find a parallel in the Christian understanding of meekness, which Jesus perfectly displays in his life. And if we were to embody this virtue, we could do so by following Jesus. 

3. Why is ‘Pottery’ an Important Imagery in the Bible? 

“I’d agree with you, but then we’d both be wrong.” This is a quirky one-liner on a coffee mug, and they are usually a popular gift for birthdays. While there are other great gifts we can give to people, clay mugs are a unique gift both for their usefulness and attractiveness. And for coffee lovers, especially, they are a treasure. While they are a popular birthday gift, these clay mugs may not have so much significance if they don’t cater well to the people who are using them. Moreover, they are usually regarded as a common object until they are set apart as a gift to someone. 

Their significance lies in someone else receiving them as a gift. In other words, clay mugs derive their status and importance from those who set them apart or use them for a specific purpose, and not merely from themselves. However, if we look at how these mugs are made and the process that goes into creating them, it is not surprising that their value lies simply in their aesthetic appeal. One doesn’t even have to print quirky lines to make them valuable. The sheer elegance of their form and colour makes them objects worthy of our attention. So, what is the process of making clay mugs, and why is it noteworthy?

Popularly known as pottery, the process of making clay mugs is a unique art. It requires patience, forethought, imagination, and skill. While potters who have mastered the skill are good at making clay pots, it often takes years to perfect their craft. The process of shaping clay into a beautiful object, like a coffee mug, requires that the potter pay careful attention to it.

Pottery is an important image in the Bible. God is referred to as the master “Potter,” who moulds us, shapes us, and even breaks us if necessary, like clay, to make us into the people He wants us to become. Just as a potter has a design in mind before he starts moulding the lump of clay, God knows who He wants to make us. We only need to offer ourselves to Him. Moreover, when thinking of pottery, one might recall the psalmist’s words: “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). 

This imagery of God as a master potter who moulds us like clay allows us to reflect on our own significance and worth. Just as a coffee mug is a simple yet meaningful piece of pottery, we begin as a formless lump of clay, full of potential. Under God’s skilled hands, we are shaped, refined and transformed into a vessel that He can use for His good purposes. Not only so, this imagery even allows us to understand that our significance does not merely lie in God setting us apart for a specific purpose, but even in our being born into this world. He has fearfully and wonderfully moulded us into the people we are. Yet, God does not let us remain as we are, just as a devoted Potter does not let an unformed vessel harden in the place. If the vessel becomes deformed, it can be made ready to be made new. This process enables us to see how patiently God moulds us. Even when we resist or stray from Him, He is willing to put us through a process of breaking and crushing so that we do not harden in our ways. 

Coffee mugs are a unique work of art. The way they are created and transformed from a simple lump of clay into a beautiful, functional piece of pottery enables us to see the potter’s skill, artistry and attention to detail. It enables us to reflect on the imagery in the Bible of God as our Potter. Just as the potter shapes the clay with patience and skill, so too does God mould us with care and intention. We are important to God, not only because of the roles we play but also because He intended to create us fearfully and wonderfully. We are immensely valuable and significant, just like a coffee mug is, simply by virtue of the care with which a potter created it. And even when God breaks us and molds us, we can be sure of His careful attention and care towards us, and that He will make us into vessels worthy of honour and grace.