Look Past the Book's Cover

By most measures, he was nondescript—a youngish white man in jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt, and a Washington Nationals baseball cap. From a small case, he removed a violin. Placing the open case at his feet, he shrewdly threw in a few dollars and pocket change as seed money and began to play.

For the next 45 minutes, in the D.C. Metro on January 12, 2007, the man played Mozart and Schubert as over 1,000 people streamed by, most hardly taking notice. If they had paid attention, they might have recognized the young man for the world-renowned violinist he is. They also might have noted the violin he played—a rare Stradivarius worth over $3 million.

It was all part of a project arranged by The Washington Post—"an experiment in context, perception, and priorities—as well as an unblinking assessment of public taste. In a banal setting, at an inconvenient time, would beauty transcend?"

Just three days earlier, Joshua Bell sold out Boston Symphony Hall, with ordinary seats going for $100. In the subway, Bell garnered about $32 from the 27 people who stopped long enough to give a donation.

You've probably heard the old saying, "You can't judge a book by its cover." This basically means that you can't judge what something, or someone is like by looking at the exterior. In other words, you can't really know what a person is like by simply looking at their clothes, or appearance. You have to get to know the person, talk to them, even find out what that person thinks or feels.

Sometimes, it's difficult to get over our own preconceptions and predjudices. We see a person and are quick to make as assumption about them purely on what we think, perceive, or see. In many cases, this can lead to trouble down the road. Getting to really know someone takes time, patience, some effort, and an open heart.

Fortunately, God doesn't have this problem. He accepts all as we are. All comers are welcome. How is this possible? He does this by looking at the one place that we find the hardest to reach. The heart. Scripture tells us that He searches our hearts (Romans 8:27). I ask you, what better place is there to truly get to know someone?

We, humans, tend to be a shallow lot. We get easily distracted or mesmerized by things on the surface. Maybe that's why we tend to get taken advantage of so much. We can't see, or we don't look, too far past the surface. Not so with God. He can see all the way down into our hearts.

At this depth, heart-level, it's impossible to hide anything. At heart-level, there's no where to run or hide. He knows every thought of ours; our true ways. Good or bad, it's all on display for Him. That's why it's so amazing that He accepts us in this condition.

He loves us all unconditionally. We are His children. And, like any other loving Father, He knows that we are not perfect. He knows we mess up, make mistakes, do and say things we shouldn't; but He doesn't judge us. Our covers might be pretty, but He knows it's what's in our hearts that really matters.

Similarly, we shouldn't be quick to judge others, either. We don't know what's in a person's heart until we get to know them. Outward appearances can be deceiving. God doesn't rely on this to know you and I. He goes straight to the source: our hearts. Look past the book's cover. Take a look inside, if you really want to know others.

Scripture: Luke 6:37; John 8:7; Luke 6:31; Galatians 5:14; 1 Corinthians 2:15

Prayer: Holy Father, may my heart always remain an open book for Your eyes; so that I may learn not to judge others by the standards of this world; but to know and love them by Your standards. Amen

Have a blessed day!

Heidi