By Steve Goodier
It was 1994. Daily, the city of Sarajevo was under siege. Mortars and
artillery fire instantly transformed once beautiful buildings into
rubble. Sarajevo's citizens were frightened, weary and increasingly
despondent. Then, one February day, a mortar shell exploded in the
market killing 68 civilians. Many more were wounded and maimed from
the blast.
A cellist with the Sarajevo symphony could no longer stand the
killing. He took his cello to the market, sat down amidst the rubble
and played a concert. When he finished, he simply took up his
instrument and left.
Every day, for 67 days, he came to the market. Every day he played a
concert. It was his gift of love to the city. He did it because he
felt his community needed hope.
Hope is music in the heart. It is a gift given to each of us to see
us through the night. Once you have lost hope, you have nothing left
to lose. Utter hopelessness kills everything it touches. But hope
gives us strength to continue, whether it is a marriage that is worth
saving, a life that is worth living or a situation that is worth
salvaging.
In the end, hope is a spiritual thing. When all is in chaos and ruin,
hope is the knowledge that the music still goes on. In this vast and
infinite universe, we are not alone.
During those times when all may seem to be crumbling down around you,
can you hear the music in your heart -- the song of hope? Listen
carefully. It is there, playing for you.