Christmas Illustrations (2)

CJ Mahaney (remember him!) writing in John Piper's Festschrift 'For the Fame of God's name', Crossway, p386

 

''In 2007, the Washington Post organised an experiment. During the morning rush hour, world famouse violinist Joshau Bell stood incognito in the entrance to the L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station and played a brilliant classical repertoire for forty-five minutes. It was, as Post reporter Gene Weingarten explained, ''an experiment in context, perception and priorities - as well as unblinking assessment of public taste,''

Joshua Bell routinely fills up concert halls worldwide. Days before, an audience in Boston had paid around $100 apiece to see him perform. In L'Enfant Plaza, he was playing a Stradivarius made in 1713, reportedly worth $3.5 million. On that Washington morning, the virtuoso collected exactly $32.17 from the few passersby who stopped. Most of the 1000 plus commuters who hurried through the station that morning didn't even slow down.

I don't think I would have slowed my pace either. If I had been rushing through L'Enfant Plaza that morning, I might not have even noticed him. He was hidden in plain sight.''

 

You can see this on Youtube here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnOPu0_YWhw

 

The original article from the Washington Post - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html