Violins

It sat in the store window, displayed in a stand specifically designed to show it to the public in the most complementary angle and light. Afterall, it was a violin, and not just any violin, it was a Stradivarius. With its shape and color, there was no mistaking the instrument for anything but one of the finest violins ever created.

A wealthy merchant passed by and heard the on-lookers commenting on the violin. Although he didn’t play an instrument, he knew then he had to have the violin. Trying to hide his shock over the price, he purchased it and took it home and displayed it in the stand to impress his many visitors. No one dared to take the instrument from its stand. 

Once, he allowed a visitor who claimed to be an accomplished musician to take the violin out of the stand and play, but it sounded awful. The merchant wondered if there was something wrong with the violin. It wasn’t until a famous violinist came to town and asked to see the Stradivarius that he finally heard what the violin could do. The notes filled his villa and wandered through its open windows. Soon there was a crowd below listening. Each note was as rich as the color of the wood, each melodic line as curved and its frame.

He listened to the music for the rest of the afternoon until the violinist place it back in its stand and politely thanked the merchant and went her way. He remained in his chair as if still listening, closing his eyes the way he did when tasting a special wine. It’s not enough to have a special instrument, he thought to himself. The instrument must be placed into the hands of a great musician. Then, and only then, can one hear the instrument for what it is.

Follow up questions:

In what way have you left your life in a stand, caring only about the way looks?

Have you ever taken your life from the stand and placed it in the hands of the great musician (God)?

If so, what did the music sound like? . . . If not, what kept you from doing so?

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If you would like a book of similar meditations, Spiritual Java was published in December and is available through Amazon.