Whistling in the Dark

Often I think this sad old world is whistling in the dark.
Just like a child, who, late from school walks bravely
home through the park.

Whistling Away the Dark

(From Darling Lili, 1970. Music by Henry Mancini and Lyrics by Johnny Mercer)

God speaks in countless ways in the mundane activities of life, and he did that again to me this week as I was running inventory. While counting pens, balls, and Bibles, I began softly whistling. I could have been on the old game show, Name That Tune! Within three or four notes I realized the song on my lips was Whistling Away the Dark, which I hadn’t thought of in decades.

Hauntingly beautiful, the melody and lyrics played across my mind the rest of the day. That evening, when I told my husband about the song, he confessed he’d never heard of it, which is astonishing for Mr. Music. So we did some research, listened to the quintessential Julie Andrews perform the song she sang in the movie Darling Lili, and agreed upon its poignancy. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Gb2AJN4YL0]

Within a couple of days, the country reeled from the terror in Boston and the tragedy of Waco. The President said we’d relentlessly pursue justice, Boston said it’s strong, and a crowd in one voice echoed these sentiments by robustly singing the national anthem. All these responses have their place. Still, I wonder if this sad old world isn’t whistling in the dark, trying to keep fear, desperation, emptiness, and loneliness at bay.

Horrible, ghastly, senseless—there are no words to adequately describe the things we’ve seen and experienced this week. We keep going, for we have no choice. We watch the news, hurting for the suffering, glad if neither we nor anyone we know was on the scene. Vulnerability, exposure. Not feeling safe in your own country, your own hometown.  We don’t like it. We want to hide, run away, and live where it’s safe. We can’t. So we whistle.

And it is dark.

At the same time Whistling played in my mind, so did Ray Stedman. In his old book, Talking with My Father, he teaches about prayer. I keep reading about prayer because I don’t think I do it right. I want to learn. I want to hear from God—to know him—and I can’t give up. According to Stedman, when we give up on prayer, our faith dwindles away until it’s gone. “We must do one or the other,” Stedman says. “Either we learn to cry out to an unseen Father who is ever present with us, or else we will lose heart.”

Is that when we turn to whistling?

I’m going to keep praying because I pray to Someone real, who is worth knowing. Learning how to pray better is worth it because life without God is truly darkness. And those who have become faithless whistlers whistle into nothingness, hoping to chase away their fear. It doesn’t work.

Whistling Away the Dark haunts me for the sake of those who whistle and for those who might join them. If you listen to the song, follow up by listening to this one: Give Me Jesus. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1oOYTjrxk0] The two songs are the difference between night and day, and I’ll take Jesus over whistling any day!