End of Year
Dear Marist Family
The end of the year is approaching and the thought that crosses many minds is ‘where did all the time go?’ The clock and the calendar can be bullies. Sometimes you have to stand up to them and not let them boss you around. I recently read the following story which resonated strongly with me. I am sure it will strike a chord as we contemplate some quieter moments, removed from the rush and busyness of life.
“In Washington DC, at the Metro station on a cold January morning in 2007, a man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about three minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.
About four minutes later, the violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money into the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
At six minutes, a young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk.
At 10 minutes, a three-year-old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. He stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent, without exception, forced their child to move on quickly.
At 45 minutes, the musician played continuously. Only six people stopped and listened for a short while. About twenty gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.
After one hour, he finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million. Two days before, Joshua Bell performed to a sold out theatre in Boston where the tickets averaged $100.00 each for patrons to sit and listen to him play the same music.”
This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the Washington DC Metro station, was organised by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.
If people did not find a moment to listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made, how many other things do many of us miss as we rush through life?
As the year concludes and we contemplate some holiday time ahead, I hope that everyone can enjoy some days when we are not incumbent by the frenetic pace of working life, but are able to see the ‘colour’ and hear the ‘music’ embedded in more peaceful moments.
Christmas is a wonderful time but it can be a time of too much shopping and too few parking spaces; a time where love is too often quantified on cash dockets. It is a challenge for all of us to ensure this celebration of the defining story of our faith, that which lies ultimately at the heart of our school, is not forgotten or given mere lip-service. At the symbolic level, let us not leave Christ out of Christmas, whether it be in our Christmas cards, or grace at Christmas dinner.
As the weeks before Christmas race away, may we all be mindful of the precious gift of our faith. Advent is a treasured time where we might find that space and even the odd, occasional moment of reflective silence to contemplate how God has graced our lives. Taking time every day to slow down and let go of planning and instead listen to the voices of the scripture and the silence underneath all our words can be an immensely enriching experience.
I would like to thank all in our community for their wonderful support of the College in 2019. We have indeed been blessed by the generosity of many. This year has been very successful in so many ways and I take the opportunity to acknowledge the extraordinary support from our staff, students, and the parent body. Collectively their efforts, passion and generosity have again value-added to the life and depth of this community. There is much in which to be grateful.
May God bless our staff, students and families.
Servo Fidem
Matthew Hutchison
Headmaster