Solo Violin
by John Fischer

In Atlanta, a killer on a rampage was stopped in his tracks by a single mom wielding Day 33 of The Purpose Driven Life. I wonder if any purpose can be found in New Orleans right now. At first glance it looks like chaos and anarchy with loss and despair higher than the high water mark in town.

But there are bound to be a number of believers in that mass of homeless humanity, and by that I don’t mean good, regular churchgoers, I mean people who know Jesus, and because they know Jesus, they have strength of character, fortitude and purpose that nothing in this world can faze.

This is a time when truth is tested, and real character prevails. You either lose it or you stand solid like a well-rooted tree when all around is giving way. People who have a purpose in life beyond their possessions or their place – people who know that a relationship with God is their most valued possession and nothing can take that away – will rise to the occasion. These people will continue to worship God even when their church is under water. They will grow leaps and bounds in their faith because faith becomes tangible in moments like this. They will bond immediately with others who know Christ, and serve those around them because that’s all you can do – that or complain, and they will be too buoyed by the reality of their faith to complain about anything. And they will realize a mission to spread the love of Jesus like never before.

Pray for these people, and know they are there. They are all over the place, and their time has come. Like Ashley Smith’s time came alone with a killer in her apartment, the time for a calm, steady faith, and even suitable humor has come.

There’s a story already out about a man in the Superdome who managed to escape the youth hostel where he was staying with his violin, and surrounded by the stench of human waste and the press of crowded suffering, he took his instrument out and began to play the Adagio of Bach’s “Sonata No. 1 in G Minor.”

“These people have nothing,” he said. “I have a violin. And I should play for them. They should have something.”

Pray for the believers who escaped with their faith and now have something to share with those who have nothing. It is their time to stand out like a violin in an overcrowded arena.


John Fischer is the Senior Writer for Purpose Driven Life Daily Devotionals. He resides in Southern California with his wife, Marti and son, Chandler. They also have two adult children, Christopher and Anne. John is a published author and popular speaker.