Seth Godin caught my attention earlier this week with a post referencing this Washington Post article. The article describes a unique performance arranged by the newspaper. They asked Joshua Bell, a Grammy award-winning violinist, to play his violin at a Washington D.C. metro stop for nearly 45 minutes. During that time over 1,000 people passed by, but almost no one stopped to hear him play.
Though Seth made the comparison with marketing, the similarities are even more striking to me with our efforts to share the Gospel message. Rather than masterpieces by Bach and Schubert that “have endured for centuries,” we share what many, including myself, believe to be the greatest story ever told. And, like many great performers, we assume that ordinary people will recognize the power of our message…especially since it’s inspired by God himself.
Here were a handful of parallels that jumped out to me as I was reading the article:
- If America’s best classical musician can use one of the finest instruments ever crafted and play some of the greatest music ever written and not be heard, there’s a chance even the best communicators in ideal venues sharing the greatest message also will not be heard.
- For some people, it doesn’t matter if it’s “one the most difficult violin pieces to master.” If the message doesn’t relate to their world, they probably won’t hear it…no matter how “deep” it is.
- The violinist didn’t connect with his crowd. “He seems so apart from his audience–unseen, unheard, otherworldly–that you find yourself thinking that he’s not really there.” Similarly, it’s possible to preach a biblical message and not be heard.
- “Context matters.” With a symphony, the violinist would likely receive an ovation. At a metro stop, the same violinist is ignored. Our message must also have context. That’s why we use stories and the arts to connect with people and make our message relevant to their lives.
- Bell explained, “I’m surprised at the number of people who don’t pay attention at all, as if I’m invisible. Because you know what? I’m makin’ a lot of noise!” How true is that? How many times have we tried to explain something a little more clearly or yell just a little bit louder hoping someone would hear us?
- The primary reason people didn’t stop to hear the violinist was because “they were busy” and “had other things on their mind.” Those are the exact same barriers that prevent people from hearing our message. We can either try to yell louder (and most likely be ignored), or we can try to more effectively connect with busy people who are consumed with the grinding details of their lives.
- They didn’t stop to hear the violinist–”not because people didn’t have the capacity to understand beauty, but because it was irrelevant to them.” Sometimes I think we need to be less concerned about whether or not we’re teaching the right message and more concerned with whether or not we’re addressing people’s needs. Jesus modeled that for us.
One of my favorite passages in Scripture is Romans 10. It’s always been a great reminder to me of my calling as a Christ-follower and as a minister. “How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” Stories like this, though, challenge me to look at this passage in a whole new light. Is it possible to preach the Gospel message and not be heard? If people don’t come to faith, is it just noise? If lives aren’t transformed, does the message even matter?
“Joshua Bell was standing there playing at rush hour, and people were not stopping, and not even looking, and some were flipping quarters at him!” I’m not satisfied with that response. I want people to experience God’s forgiveness and love the way I experience it. That’s why I work so diligently to not only make sure we are preaching God’s Word, but that we’re offering it in a way that connects with the people we’re trying to reach.
Maybe instead of even thinking about this illustration in terms of how we can “do ministry” better, we should be looking at it in the terms of us really seeing God and His beautiful masterpiece (the kingdom) each day.
The video at the original Washington Post article is cuh-lassic. It says it all and should be shown at every preaching conference. I’ve actually seen that same response from people in churches during the sermon. Great post, Tony.
Oh by the way, when violins don’t work, I always suggest obnoxiously loud guitars. But that’s just me.
I saw that when Seth posted it, too. Amazing story. My wife posted it on her blog and got an interesting comment. She pointed to the blog of a woman who’s a NYC subway musician. She said it wasn’t the crowd’s fault. It was Bell’s.
“The thing is Joshua Bell is a great violinist but he doesn’t know how to busk. There are violinists who are not even close to being as good as he is (such as Jim Grasec or Lorenzo LaRock), yet they get crowds to stop and listen to them.” [more here]
It’s probably a little of both, but it leads to the same truths. We’ve got to communicate in a way that’s appropriate to the context and in a way where the audience can ‘get’ it. The most talented speakers adapt. Churches must as well…
As a youth pastor with a degree in the violin, this hit home twice as much! The point about context regarding Bell’s performance with an orchestra vs solo is a good reminder to me when in a ministry context I’m in front of a large group or small/one on one – both the people and the environment are different.
“If I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth but didn’t love others, I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal.” (1 Cor 13:1)
That verse immediately sprang into my mind when reading this.
It’s not about the greatest message, the greatest communicators, or the greatest venues.
It’s not about communicating louder, or clearer, or more relevantly, or more intellectually, or with more pizazz.
People will only stop to listen to the message – and will only be able to truly understand the message – when they see it in the context of love. Our love for each other. And our willingness to love them.
What an excellent post, Tony! You have great insights into preaching and connecting! This disconnect not only happens with the unchurched – it happens with the “churched” every Sunday!!!!
Perhaps we should instead remember that it is the Holy Spirit that moves people to listen or not. We are merely mouthpieces. Without the Holy Spirit to move the people of Jerusalem at Pentecost, Peter would have been just like your violinist, speaking wonderfully-to an unhearing crowd.