At the turn of the 20th century, one of the greatest piano masters was Jan Paderewski. When he had a concert, the elegant symphony halls were “sold out” weeks in advance. At one of his performances, a child from the audience got away from his mother, mounted the stage, and sat down at the Steinway. To everyone’s shock, he began to play “Chopsticks.” The audience became indignant. “Get rid of that boy! Stop this sacrilege!”
Backstage, the master pianist was even more indignant . . . at the audience! He slipped onto the stage behind the boy and reached around him and began to improvise on “Chopsticks,” making it come alive. As he did so, he kept whispering: “Don’t ever stop. Keep going. Don’t listen to them.”
I remember my favorite seminary professor giving me a word of advice about ministry. “Jon, the main thing is to make sure the ‘main thing’ is the main thing.” Too often we get so focused on details that we forget what’s really important. The piano master knew what was really important, but the audience didn’t. He made the main thing the main thing. And there was a boy and a mother who learned the joy of care and wonder and pride that could have easily become embarrassment and rejection and shame without the sure vision of the master.
Often the storms of life seem to make as little sense as “Chopsticks” played by a child on a grand piano in a great concert hall. Yet, above the tumult the Master of all calls us back to the main thing. “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Believe in God. Believe also in me.”
May you have a happy and blessed New Years . . . and keep going as you grow in the music of your faith!