The greatest concert in history

The sound of the audience’s applause filled the room as the singer finished his song.

They cheered aloud and as he lowered his instrument, he cheered with them.

But the show wasn’t done yet. In fact, it had just begun.

It was a packed room, and he loved it.

He looked up to the heavens and thanked God for the opportunity, and that so many were listening to him.

As the cheers died down and the applause stopped, he picked up his instrument again.

He said a quick prayer in his heart, introduced the song, and began.

The sound of his voice filled the room. It echoed in the ears of everyone present.

It was a sweet sound that caused their bodies to delight. It stirred up something wonderful within the souls of everyone who were listening.

They joined in – every one of them.

The room was filled with the sound of each person singing.

It was so powerful and so deep, that many of them began to weep, overwhelmed with emotion.

It’s what the musician had hoped for.

He played on his instrument like never before – and louder than ever before, but it still did not compare to the volume of all the voices singing together in unison.

They sang with joy – some of them even danced.

The concert lasted for hours, and it was indeed beautiful.

As the hours passed, the voices only grew louder, and so did the sound of his instrument.

It kept going on and on…

…until the guards came, banging on the prison bars.

“Stop that noise right now”, they screamed.

The singing stopped, but only for a moment.

The singer…the apostle, Paul, looked at them. His face and body still bloodied from the flogging he had received earlier. He smiled, and raising his instrument – the chains that bound him – he began to clang them together, as he continued singing in worship.

And again, all the prisoners joined in the song.