Emblazoned in white letters on the black t-shirt for sale in the gift shop were the words, “Music is the medicine of the mind.” I smiled at the sentiment. I also suspected my appreciation of the slogan was enhanced by the location of the gift shop – the ground floor of the apartment building where, three floors above and 270 years earlier, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart had been born.

As many of you know, Tim recently took me on a long-discussed visit to several German-speaking cities in Europe. His German language skills are considerable and, apart from the record heat, the trip was wonderful. I had opportunities to see, hear, and experience places and events that I had read, heard, and taught about. (I’ll share more observations from this trip in future newsletter articles.)

We spent the first night of our trip in Salzburg, Austria. The city has a long relationship with music. Not only is it Mozart’s birthplace, it’s also the setting for the events that became the basis of the film The Sound of Music. We heard a wonderful concert in the cathedral, which traces its history back to 774 and still contains the baptismal font in which Mozart was baptized.

Tim pried me out of bed that first morning. Two short walks and two bus rides later, we were standing in front of the home where Mozart was born 1756. Tragically, he would die in Vienna, Austria in 1791 at the age of 35. The cause of his death remains unknown. But his body suffered some sort of disorder that the medicine of his day simply couldn’t overcome. That leads me back to the t-shirt in the gift shop.

The quote “Music is the medicine of the mind” is attributed to John Logan (1748-1788), a minor Scottish poet whose brief life almost exactly overlaps that of Mozart. I find his poetic parallel between medicine and music compelling. Music and medicine both recognize that human life has a natural tendency toward disorder. Each in its own way, tries to restore at least some small measure of what’s been lost.

Physical and mental illnesses abound. Many in our communities suffer from emotional distress and spiritual confusion. Modern medicine effectively addresses many of these disorders, from colds to cancer to depression. But as the Bible recognizes, music can also play a role in healing both the body and the soul. “And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him” (I Samuel 16:23).

This wasn’t an isolated incident. Throughout history, music has often served as a pathway that leads God’s people into God’s presence. The singing and sharing of “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,” (Ephesians 5:19) continues to bring healing to those who are suffering. The more I study such topics, and the more I experience of sin-induced disorder in our world, the more convinced I am of the restorative power of music in our lives.

Whether the music of Mozart or different composers or styles, I pray that all of us may grown in our recognition that God’s gift of music can be medicine for the mind.