The choral director once told me something that made me shiver.

 

¨There is research to show that about five minutes into a piece, all of the singers' hearts are beating in sync.¨

 

Maybe it has to do with the unity of their breathing. Perhaps it is related to their focus on the conductor. Whatever the cause, I like it.

 

Maybe we are not meant to thrum in isolation. My church has a  program called Pay it Forward, where people show up to chop vegetables for soup, and bake pies, and mix cornbread. Other days they venture out into the community to help families with yard work, or reclaim a family room that was overrun during an extended illness. Their singular intention lines up their efforts like iron filings on a magnet. It's not about talking. It's about doing.