In classical music, ‘theme and variations’ is a common musical structure, where a composer introduces a melody (often quite a short, simple tune) and then varies it slightly in different ways, often embellishing the original tune to make it more interesting. A famous example of this is Mozart’s ‘Ah, vous dirai je, Maman’, when his simple tune (better known to us as ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’) is embellished twelve times (you can listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCKBl-TpRzc)
Psalm 136 reminds me of this musical structure. Its theme is simple, a refrain repeated 26 times (‘His love endures forever.‘) God’s love is the simple yet profound theme of the Bible. Twice in John’s first letter he tells us ‘God is love’. This is the bedrock of Christian belief.
The psalmist embellishes this theme with reasons to give thanks and examples of His love in action. From God’s amazing work of creation to His mighty deliverance from Egypt to His ongoing protectin and provision, the nature of God’s love is explored.
There is repetition in the psalm: repetition deepens impression (think of the refrains in songs which reinforce the basic message).We must never lose sight of God’s love. It is at the heart of our faith, at the very heart of life.
