“Casavant Brothers”, located in
Saint-Hyacinthe,
Quebec, is one of the oldest pipe organ manufactures in Canada. They have been in operation
since 1879 and
their process has changed very little since the beginning.
Every
pipe organ is unique and built for the specific place that it will
occupy. Therefore, before
anything else happens, the
company sends a representative to look at the building, measure
the room and
examine the building materials. That
person
then takes measurements, tests the acoustics and asks questions
about the size
of the audience and the type of music that will be played so the
organ can be
tuned to exact specifications.
When
the builder returns to the factory, he creates and shapes each
pipe by
hand. Then he tests the
pipe’s sound
quality, making minor changes until it sounds good on its own. That pipe is then grouped
with others and
more adjustments are made to make sure the sound is exactly as the
maker wants
it. Finally, after the
cabinet and
keyboards are assembled, the entire instrument is installed and
then tested
once more to ensure that it sounds correct in the room. It is a labour intensive
process that cannot
be mechanized or turned over to mass production. Every pipe organ is a unique
creation.
As
I
watched the documentary about this process, I could not help but
see the
spiritual parallels. Scripture
tells us
that we were created by God himself and that we are uniquely
shaped and formed
in his image. As David
reflects on this
truth, he writes, “You created my inmost being; you knit me
together in my
mother’s womb. I praise
you because I am
fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:13-14).
Later,
Jesus assures us that God is still watching over and caring for
us. “Do not worry about
your life, what you will
eat or drink… Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or
reap or store
away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you
not much more
valuable than they?” (Matthew 7:25-26).
In fact, Jesus says that God is so near and knows us so
well that, “The
very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Luke 12:7).
It
may
feel like life is out of control and that we have no help, but I
do not believe
that is true. I believe
that a loving
God has created, crafted and cared for us in the past and that he
will continue
to do so in the future.
We
are in
his hands!
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