A Social Experiment that Proves Many of Us May Be Missing the Beauty of Life Around Us

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At a Metro Station in Washington, D.C. on a cold January morning two years ago, a violinist played six Bach pieces as approximately two thousand people went through the station (see above video), most of whom were on their way to work. Three minutes into performance, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule. Four minutes later a woman threw a dollar in a hat next to the violinist, not even stopping to listen to the music, and continued her brisk walk.

At six minutes a young man leaned against the wall to listen to the violinist, then looked at his watch and started to walk again. At ten minutes a three-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 the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.

During the entire forty-five minute presentation only six people stopped and listened to the music for a short while. About twenty people put a dollar or two into the hat, but all continued to walk at their normal pace. The violinist collected a total of thirty two dollars. He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.

The Rest of the Story

The violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate violin pieces ever written on a Stradivarious violin worth three and a half million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theatre in Boston where the people payed well over one hundred dollars each to sit and listen to Joshua play the same music he played for free in the Metro.

The Washington Post organized Joshua Bell's performance at the Metro Station as a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. The experiment raises several thought-provoking questions:

In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? If so, do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

The Joshua Bell experiment also causes me also to ask a very personal question:

If we all are capable of being oblivious to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, on one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . . .

How many other moments of spectacular beauty am I missing because I rush through the day and fail to see the unexpected brilliance of the people, places and events immediately around me?
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A Visual Reminder That What Is Important In Life Is Internal and Eternal

We live in a world obsessed with beauty and trying to stay young. We who live in western cultures, encouraged by the media, put a premium on the body and those things that are temporal. TIME Magazine profiled the first "supermodel," a woman named Veruschka, by placing her on the cover of the magazine in 1967. It is reported that Hollywood director James Cameron and his special effects team were inspired by Veruschka and modeled Navi in Avatar after Cameron's memory of seeing Veruschka in magazines when he was  a boy of 16.

Veruschka, pictured to the left as she appeared in October of 1965, graced the cover of many major magazines in the 1960's and 1970's. She started the "waif" figure among models, and earned superstar status as a model, earning a fortune in the process.

Today, Veruschka is 71 years of age. The core person we know as Veruschka is the same. Her soul remains intact. She is a human being, created in the image of God--but the effects of a world cursed by sin have been felt by Veruschka, as it will be by us all. Veruschka modeled today for the first time in many years. One has to admire her presence on the model runway, and the courage she exhibited. Her appearance this October 2010 illustrates the truth of two verses of Scripture.

"Charm can be deceptive and beauty doesn’t last, but a woman who fears and reverences God shall be greatly praised" (Proverbs 31:30 TLB)

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day” (II Corinthians 4:16 ISV).

I too am growing old. I can't run like I used to, play softball as well, or hit the golf ball as far. My eyes are weak, my skin is dry and getting winkled, and my hair is thinner and more brittle.

That's life.

I don't get discouraged. The older I get the more I appreciate the grace of God in my life. He renews me inwardly every day. My outlook is more positive, my understanding of God's goodness is deeper, and my appreciation for His blessings in Christ Jesus far outweigh any discouragement over a decline in physical health or appearance. We are in the middle of a series on Sunday morning at our church entitled "The Difference Christ Makes." It seems to me one of the major differences He makes in the lives of those who trust Him is the ability to not draw our worth and signficance from outward beauty. Anyone who does is doomed to end their life in failure. But those of us who know Jesus Christ don't despair when we lose what we once had, including our physical beauty.