Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once described music as “the universal language of mankind.” And it’s true that music speaks to us on some deep, instinctual level; we sing lullabies to babies to help them fall asleep, we listen to pump-up music to get our energy flowing before a big workout or a big test, and we can’t celebrate holidays and special occasions without their associated tunes. More personally, most people have a story about their first concert, or can’t listen to a particular artist without thinking about that time they saw her live with a loved one they have since lost. Historically, humankind used songs to record and transmit our cultural stories, as well as to worship. Indeed, music is all over the Bible, which calls us many times to sing and make music to worship the Lord.

But what is it about music that makes it capable of capturing what we cannot put into words, or of elevating those words to new heights? Why is it so closely related to the glory of God? In this issue, we hope to unlock some of these secrets, exploring the role music plays in our lives and the ways in which it works on our hearts and minds.

Your pitch for this issue might answer questions like these:

• Historically, many people and communities would pass the time by singing together, but for many adults today, the only time we might sing communally is during church. What is the significance of raising our voices with others? What does it mean for us that we so rarely find spaces in which to do it today?
• It’s a common phenomenon for athletes to have iconic “walk-up songs,” and most tv shows have an opening track. Why do we love to associate music with specific people, places or things?
• Why does music how the power to affect our emotions? To direct our focus and attention? To change the vibe of a space we inhabit or a scene in a movie?
• What happens in our brains when we listen to music, and what can that tell us about its place in our lives and our society?
• How does the music of a particular culture capture its distinctive identity?
• What is the connection between music and nature? Why do birds sing?

Please consider these examples a starting point, not a limit.

(Editorial Note: While Fare Forward is a Christian journal, we strive to practice “editorial hospitality,” by which we mean that anyone, of any or no faith background, can pick up a copy of our journal and feel that it is written for them. So don’t choose a topic that’s “intramural”—i.e., only of interest to other Christians. And as you write, don’t assume your reader is familiar with either Christianity as a whole or with any faith tradition in specific. That doesn’t mean you can’t talk about the specifics, just that you’ll need to briefly explain them so the intelligent reader can catch on.)