What Are We Missing?

¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. ¹² I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.- Ecclesiastes 3:11-12

This story was shared with me about a year ago.  I meant to use it, but filed it away and forgot it... until now...

 PERCEPTION.  . . Something To Think About.. . .  

Washington, DC Metro  Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man  with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45  minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people  went through the station, most of them on their way  to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed  there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and  stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet  his schedule.  
4  minutes later:  
The violinist  received his first dollar: a woman threw the money  in the hat and, without stopping, continued to  walk.  
6  minutes:  
A  young man leaned against the wall to listen to him,  then looked at his watch and started to walk  again. 
10  minutes:
A 3-year old boy  stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly.  The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but  the mother pushed hard and the child continued to  walk, turning his head all the time. This action was  repeated by several other children. Every parent,  without exception, forced their children to move on  quickly.
45  minutes:
The  musician played  continuously.  Only 6 people stopped and  listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but  continued to walk at their normal pace.  The  man collected a total of  $32.
1  hour:
He finished playing  and silence took over. No one noticed.. No one  applauded, nor was there any  recognition.
 No  one knew this, but the violinist was  Joshua  Bell, one of the greatest  musicians in the world. He played one of the most  intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth  $3.5 million dollars.. Two days before Joshua Bell  sold out a theater in Boston where the seats  averaged $100.

This  is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in  the metro station was organized by the Washington  Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and  people's priorities.  The  questions raised:       *In a  common place environment at an inappropriate hour,  do we perceive beauty?        *Do  we stop to appreciate it?        *Do  we recognize talent in an unexpected  context?
One  possible conclusion reached from this experiment  could be this:  
If we do not  have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best  musicians in the world, playing some of the finest  music ever written, with one of the most beautiful  instruments ever made. How  many other things are we missing?  

Indeed.  How many other things ARE we missing?  Especially this time of year.  There is SO much beauty to behold right now.  Last night Daniel and I took Cecelia out exploring Christmas light displays.  So simple, but so much fun and so much joy for Cecelia.  There are Christmas concerts, ballets and plays everywhere.  Have you slowed down enough to enjoy one?  Will you slow down enough to at least enjoy the children's Christmas pageant at you church?  


I can kind of understand what happened at the DC Metro station.  People wouldn't have been there if they weren't on their way to somewhere else.  But still... to walk right by beauty like that and not make it a priority...  But isn't beauty (artistic and spiritual) one of the main priorities of Christmas?  And we walk right by it without noticing all Advent long in pursuit of hosting the "perfect" party or finding the "perfect" gift... or trying to make enough money to afford those things.


There are 11 more days in Advent.  Make it a priority to enjoy some Christmas beauty each day... even if you have to create it.


Lord,
There is beauty all around us, especially this time of year.  Help us to recognize it and just stop what we are doing to take joy in it.  Amen.


Joys:  Photos of Holy Cross folks volunteering at the Extreme Home Makeover in Lincolnton; People that go "all out" decorating their homes for Christmas bringing joy to those who pass by; Cecelia's excitement about being the Star in the Christmas program.