On January 12, 2007, in a Washington DC metro station, a young man took out his violin and began to play. Over the next 45 minutes, he played six Bach pieces as approximately 1100 people walked past him.
After three minutes, a middle-aged man slowed down, listened for a few seconds, and then hurried to meet his schedule.
At the four minute mark, the violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
He had been playing for six minutes when a young man leaned against the wall, listened, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
After ten minutes, a 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. Several other children tired to stop and every parent, without exception, forced his or her child to move on quickly.
Overall, a total of seven people stopped to listen for a short while. Twenty seven people threw some money in the hat and the man collected a total of $32 (One man contributed $20 of the $32). When he finished playing, no one applauded or even seemed to notice. He just packed up and left.
What people did not know was that the young violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He was playing one of the most intricate pieces ever written and he was playing a violin that was worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days earlier, Joshua Bell had sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100. His appearance in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception and expectations.
The people that day did not expect a world renowned violinist to be playing in a metro station at rush hour and their expectations (or lack thereof) made them miss a unique experience. They did not see what was right in front of them, because they were not looking for anything special that morning.
How often do we miss seeing good things because we simply are not looking for them? How many times do we miss the blessings that are all around us because we are in such a rush to get to the next thing? We do not expect anything special and so we do not get anything special.
The apostle Paul once prayed, “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened” (Ephesians 1:18). He wanted his readers to slow down, open their “spiritual eyes” and see their blessings.
Maybe that would be a good prayer for us too.
After three minutes, a middle-aged man slowed down, listened for a few seconds, and then hurried to meet his schedule.
At the four minute mark, the violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
He had been playing for six minutes when a young man leaned against the wall, listened, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
After ten minutes, a 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. Several other children tired to stop and every parent, without exception, forced his or her child to move on quickly.
Overall, a total of seven people stopped to listen for a short while. Twenty seven people threw some money in the hat and the man collected a total of $32 (One man contributed $20 of the $32). When he finished playing, no one applauded or even seemed to notice. He just packed up and left.
What people did not know was that the young violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He was playing one of the most intricate pieces ever written and he was playing a violin that was worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days earlier, Joshua Bell had sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100. His appearance in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception and expectations.
The people that day did not expect a world renowned violinist to be playing in a metro station at rush hour and their expectations (or lack thereof) made them miss a unique experience. They did not see what was right in front of them, because they were not looking for anything special that morning.
How often do we miss seeing good things because we simply are not looking for them? How many times do we miss the blessings that are all around us because we are in such a rush to get to the next thing? We do not expect anything special and so we do not get anything special.
The apostle Paul once prayed, “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened” (Ephesians 1:18). He wanted his readers to slow down, open their “spiritual eyes” and see their blessings.
Maybe that would be a good prayer for us too.
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