A Famous Concert Violinist Busks in a Subway – Why Does Nobody Stop?

By: Sam Chan

In 2007, in a famous experiment, Grammy-winning violin player, Joshua Bell, played his violin in a Washington subway but nobody stopped to listen.

If Bell had been in a concert hall, people would’ve noticed. But because he was dressed as a busker in a subway, nobody stopped to listen.

But what does this experiment prove?

It proves that at 7 in the morning, in a subway, we can’t afford to stop. We’re in too much of a rush. That’s why we pay money to go to concerts. So we can stop and listen. It costs money to stop.

That’s why God sent us Jesus. So we can stop rushing and rest. In Jesus we find the peace that we’re looking for. And Jesus pays the cost for our rest … on the cross.

If life is too much of a rush, it’s time to stop, come to Jesus, and enjoy the rest that only Jesus can give.

And maybe we won’t just notice violin players in subways but also the beauty that God has programmed into our lives and this universe.

Matthew 11:28-29
Luke 10:38-42

About the Author: Sam is a theologian, preacher, author, evangelist, ethicist, cultural analyst and medical doctor.

Article supplied with thanks to Espresso Theology.

Image: Youtube / Washington Post Screenshot