Religion in Daily Life

By the Rev. Edward Chinn, D.Min.

http://www.allsaintstorresdale.org

Itzhak Perlman is a famous violinist. Years ago he gave a performance in New York. During the concert, one of the strings on his violin broke. The sound could be heard throughout the auditorium. The music suddenly came to a stop. The audience waited for the string to be replaced. Perlman chose to act differently. He paused for a moment, concentrated, and then played the remainder of the concert on three strings. The audience gave him a standing ovation. Perlman said, "You know, sometimes it is the artist's task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left."

Moses faced this challenge of making music with what one has left. He was born to a Hebrew woman in Egypt around 1300 B.C. The royal household adopted him. When Moses was 40 years old, he saw an Egyptian slave master mistreating a fellow-Hebrew. Moses struck and killed the Egyptian (Acts 7:23 f). Moses became a fugitive. He ran away to Midian. For 40 years he tended sheep there. As Moses approached age 80, Moses didn't seem to have much life left. Then, God called Moses to lead his people out of Egypt. From age 80 to 120, Moses made memorable music with what he had left of his life.

Harold Russell faced this challenge of making music with what one has left. Russell was a sergeant paratrooper in World War II. He lost both hands in a training camp explosion. He woke up in a hospital after the accident. A WWI veteran, who had lost both hands, visited Russell. He helped Harold Russell to see things differently. Hollywood chose Russell to play in the 1946 movie, The Best Years of Our Lives. He won two Academy Awards for his portrayal of a veteran who had lost his hands. He used his new fame to speak all over the country. He ended his talks with these words: "It is not what you have lost, but what you have left that counts."

Jesus of Nazareth faced this challenge of making music with what one has left. Jesus saw that time was running out for his companions. He said to them, "My light will shine out for you just a little longer. Walk in it while you can" (John 12:35, NCV). Likewise, in his final weeks, Jesus said to his friends, "Now my soul is in turmoil, and what am I to say? 'Father, save me from this hour.' No, it was for this that I came to this hour" (John 12:27, NEB). Think of the music that Jesus made from those final days in Jerusalem, music that centers in the Cross and the Resurrection.