I receive a daily email from Ravi Zacharias International Ministries called “A Slice of Infinity.” It’s an apologetic essay that I really enjoy reading. Today the author told the story of a nineteenth-century rabbi known for his mastery and teaching and living an unwieldy Mishnaic teaching called ayin tovah, or as we would call it the “good eye.” To live with the good eye is to carry yourself in such a way as to intentionally focus on what is most pure and good in each person.  It is to see their potential rather than their failings.

The essay got me thinking. We’re in a super busy time right now. There is a lot going on at ebc and in most of our personal lives. Someone shared with me recently that summer was supposed to be the more relaxed time of year and their lives certainly weren’t reflecting that. I don’t know about you, but when there seems to be a lot going on I tend to look at people and the world very quickly. I tend to miss the best things because I’m in a hurry to keep going.

An article from the Washington Post illustrates this perfectly. The article describes an experiment called “Pearls before Breakfast.” The question was whether one of the world’s great musicians could cut through the rushed fog of the Washington D.C. rush hour. They hired violin virtuoso Joshua Bell, who only three days prior, had sold out Boston’s prestigious Symphony Hall, where the not-so-good seats cost $100.00. Bell performed at the crowded Metro where he made music with his handcrafted 1713 Stradivari for nearly an hour as thousands of people rushed by.  The researchers recording their observations noted that perhaps 27 people noticed and they threw $32 into a hat which was in front of the world renowned master musician. They concluded their report by saying “There was never a crowd, not even for a second.”

I don’t know about you but there are times when I miss God’s gift of the virtuoso because I didn’t budget the time to listen. Sometimes I miss the great, but quiet, movements of God that happen all around me because I’ve built up an artificial self-perception of importance for the precious tasks that must be completed today, at all cost.

Today, while I pursue what I’ve been called to do, I want to keep an ear tuned for the beautiful music of the Grace Master while he performs all around me. Now that’s living.

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