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Sunday, December 23, 2007
when the extraordinary interrupts an ordinary day
The man playing the video in this clip is Joshua Bell.
He's one of the best violinists in the world.
He's playing a violin worth several million dollars.
He's playing some of the most beautiful music you can imagine.
and nobody stops to listen
He's in a metro station in D.C. as part of an experiment that the Washington Post did. They planted him there, to see how the public would respond.
And the public's response? Almost exclusively ... they didn't notice him.
Over a thousand people passed him, and less than a dozen stopped to listen. Only one spoke to him. His open violin case received $35.
This isn't a lecture about busy-ness, and how it distracts us from smelling the roses.
It's a lecture about Christmas.
What was playing on your car radio this morning? What was printed on that Christmas card? The music in the mall ... what were the words?
Veiled in flesh, the God-head see
Hail the incarnate deity
Pleased -- as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Immanuel (God with us)
Are you listening? Am I?
Mark 27:36 And sitting down they watched him there;
This was spoken at the cross, but the same can be said of the incarnation ... God becoming man ... the awe we should feel at the very idea of
Him.
There.
Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth, peace among men upon whom His favor rests.
(much of this post stolen from a sermon illustration this morning, by the way!)
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3 comments:
Wow, I thought to myself after reading that blog; That's just like spreading the gospel. It is beautiful to hear, but hardly anyone listens. Great blog.
Thanks! Yes ... very much like sharing the Gospel. And while it's easy to be discouraged by the 1,000 who were too busy to hear, we can't forget the one who DID respond, and the 7 who at least listened with interest.
Not excusing the lack of appreciation of the violinist but...have you been to the metro stations in DC? It's crazy busy and actually gave Bill and I some perspective on people. A lot of these folks have i-pods going on so they might not have even heard him playing.
But, I fully agreee with your analogy...that's what makes dressing up the message so tempting.
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