Isaiah 9:6-7 Luke 2:1-7
Do you hear what I hear?
On a cold January morning, a violinist was heard playing in a metro station in Washington DC. Since it was rush hour, thousands of people passed him by, most of them on their way to work. The man played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. After three minutes, a middle-aged commuter stopped for a few seconds, but then hurried along to catch his train. A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip from a woman who simply threw the money in the jar without stopping to listen.
Others stopped briefly to watch him play, but none of them stayed for any length of time. The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy, but his mother dragged him away. This boy’s reaction was repeated by several other children, but all the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.
In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped to listen for a few minutes longer than most. About 20 gave him money but they all continued to walk their normal pace. When he finished playing, no one noticed…no one applauded...no one gave him any recognition. In the end, he collected $32.
What these commuters did not realise was that the violinist playing in the station was none other than Joshua Bell, one of the best violinists in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars. Two days prior to his performance in the metro station, Bell sold out at a theater in Boston with the seats averaging about $100.00 each.
Earlier, the Washington Post had asked Bell to take part in a social experiment about perception and the priorities of people. They wanted the event to take place in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour to establish how people assess beauty. Whether they would recognise something remarkable in an everyday setting. Whether they would stop to appreciate it. Whether they would even recognize brilliance in an unexpected context.
The aim was to answer a simple question: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing some of the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?
In the Word made flesh, we hear the sweet melody of God’s graciousness and his kindness and his mercy and his forgiveness. Here, in this fallen and broken world, from the palatial homes of the wealthy to the squalor of a shack in a slum, people everywhere have been given the opportunity to attend this most wonderful symphony of life, for free. The question is, will they stop to listen…will they perceive the immeasurable gift and stay…or will they not be able to comprehend the Creator God in this very ordinary setting, and simply move on?
It is interesting to note that many at the time of his birth did not respond appropriately either. Other than a few shepherds, the birth of the King of kings went by largely unnoticed. Who would seek a king in the feeding trough of domestic livestock?
This afternoon, we have gathered not to celebrate the birth of a distinguished and brilliant superstar, like Bell. No, we are here to celebrate the arrival of a fragile baby…born to poor parents in an occupied country. And yet, a baby who is none other than God incarnate…the promised Messiah…the Child who invaded the world to save the world…the one who came to liberate the enslaved…to freely offer the hope of eternal salvation to you and to me…and to anyone who will receive him.
Of all of the sounds you will hear this Christmas season, listen carefully to hear an even greater sound; the sound of the unveiling of Jesus to the world. Embrace this exquisite melody and allow it to fill every part of your life, so that, wherever you may go in this world, others may hear what you hear and see what you see.
Shall we pray?
© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2022
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