From Silence to Song
I remember the first time I heard a violin in person. I was in elementary school when a company came to promote both music education and instrument lessons to our student body. Our assembly took place in the gym, which doubled as the cafeteria. The instructor pulled out his violin and began to play a melancholy tune that struck a chord in my young ears, making me want to weep. I didn’t have language yet for what I felt.
What is it about music that stirs the human soul? At that point in my life, I didn’t know very much about the world; I was more concerned about making sure I received chocolate milk instead of regular milk at lunchtime and wondering when recess would start. Yet music has a way of transcending generations, ages, and time… truly touching the soul.
Recently, a documentary titled Violins of Hope struck a similar chord within me.[1] It features a collection of stringed instruments recovered from the Holocaust, now brought back to life. These beautiful wooden instruments each have an opal Star of David embedded in their backs. Some of them had been stolen from the hands of Jewish families during the Holocaust .
Historians have documented instances in concentration camps where musicians were forced to play for the Nazis – some even in barracks right next to gas chambers and ovens. These violins contributed to the preservation of life; if you were a musician, your life was considered more valuable than others'.[2] These musicians were not prioritized for the gas chambers because they were of use to the Nazis. Some were even forced to play cheerful music, manipulating the airwaves for those in the death camps.
Today, these same violins are not hidden behind glass in a museum. They now rest in the hands of modern-day musicians, who are breathing life back into these fragile artifacts that had been silenced for decades. This collection of stringed instruments is now traveling the world for concerts, raising awareness of the atrocities of the Holocaust and the resilience of the Jewish people, as famous cellists and violinists bring them to life while filling the room with their sweet sorrow. It is a redeeming thought that instruments once used for the manipulation of the Nazi regime are now in the hands of artists raising awareness of the evils of the Holocaust and the antisemitism that led to it.
This makes me wonder: if a small wooden instrument can make a difference in the world, how much more could we by using our voices? We, as believers in Messiah Yeshua, are God’s instruments used to display His glory. This reminds me of a passage in Isaiah, which teaches that when we spend ourselves for the weary, God sees our toil and rewards our willingness to be His instruments in a hurting world:
If you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday (Isaiah 58:10, ESV).[3]
The Holocaust may sometimes feel like the distant past, but even today we can very clearly see the Jewish people as being afflicted, hunted, and harmed by political movements and social agendas. Will we spend our lives on behalf of the needy, like Messiah did? There is a song only we can bring – a message that uniquely benefits God’s Kingdom in our lifetime.
As I think back to that poignant moment in elementary school when I first heard the violin's haunting melody, I realize music has the power to connect us deeply to both the past and the present. It has the ability to remind us of both the beauty and the tragedy that exist in our world. Just as these “violins of hope” – once silenced by oppression – have become instruments of remembrance and inspiration, we too are called to use our God-given voices and talents to bring hope and encouragement to those around us.
Written by Kori, Life in Messiah staff
Is there a musical instrument or song that holds a special place in your life? Why?
Where have you seen someone or something with a dark past “repurposed” for a positive use?
How will God use your voice for His glory today?
Endnotes:
[1] You can watch Violins of Hope here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LZkU_O7vrs.