"Oh No, my Brothers, Lowell Never Sings..."

Anyone who knows me very well, knows that I love to sing. I sing old hymns, modern stuff, choruses, kids songs, Psalms, and even the occasional Ausbund.

So why would a Muslim friend of mine here say this to his friends? Why would he say that I never sing?

Words, words, words, and how to translate them can be so tricky sometimes.

Local Muslims have a dozen words or phrases for things that we would call "singing" that they very clearly say is NOT singing.

Chanting from a Holy Book is not singing, that is a different word. And I do that.

"Singing" a song that worships God is NOT singing, it is a different word. And I do that.

"Singing" about Jesus is NOT singing, it is a different word. And I do that.

"Singing" a love song about your wife is NOT singing, it is a different word. I will let you guess if I do that.

"Singing" a Psalm is NOT singing, it is a different word. And I do that.

When a local Muslim thinks about "singing", he is thinking about Bollywood songs and other trite stuff, but not poetry, and not godly things.

So my Muslim assures those around him, "Oh, no, Lowell does not sing." I do a lot of verbs, (that I would call singing), but none of these verbs would called singing by his standards.