The movie The Pianist portrays the story of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish musician who survived the horrors of World War II, including the execution of his family, to become a leading concert pianist of the 20th century.
For a time, Szpilman is living underground, hidden by friends, and shuttled from place to place to avoid detection by the Nazis. In one scene he is ushered into a small barren apartment by a friend, who cautions him to remain silent. This hiding place is next door to the head of police and across the street from a hospital caring for wounded German soldiers.
“You are now living in the heart of the lion’s den,” says his friend. “Keep as quiet as possible.”
When the friend leaves, Szpilman eyes an old piano in the corner of the room. Having not played for many months, he is drawn to open its keyboard and lift the felt cover off the keys.
A symphony orchestra begins to play, and we see Szpilman seated at the piano with his hands above the keys. As the music proceeds, his his hands go into motion , and the piano can be heard. The viewer is led to believe that Szpilman cannot resist playing, and the thought comes into your mind that he has just given himself away. But as the camera pans downward, you realize that while his fingers are moving as if playing every note, his hands are not actually touching the keys. The music you are hearing is all in his head and his heart.
This soon-to-be famous pianist is existing in the hope that he will play again before crowds of people. Hope is a powerful thing. It will keep you going in the direst of circumstances.
Most of the people in this world have limited hope. They live without the inner presence of the true God as revealed in the Scripture. Their reality is based merely in the physical world. In this sort of existence, the only way to have hope is to mentally figure out what is and isn’t possible. A coworker may say, “You’ll never get that promotion.” A doctor may say, “You’ll never walk again.” A counselor may say, “Your child will never be able to overcome this handicap.” From this perspective, certain things are not possible, so why hope for something that you think could never happen?
But for those who belong to the Lord, who have given themselves in faith to Jesus, and in whom the Holy Spirit of God is alive, there is always hope. How is that? Because for God, “All things are possible.” A friend of mine prayed for decades for his father to come to faith, and when his father was in his late eighties, he repented and gave his life to the Lord. There is no time limit on hope and prayer.
Is there something or someone in your life that you have given up on? Remember this verse: Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26}
Christmas is first of all about hope, a hope which began long before the Christ child was born in Bethlehem. The Israelites had waited for hundreds of years and were still waiting and hoping. The Scripture said that the Messiah was coming, and “if God says it, I believe it.” An old hymn says, “Hope is an anchor.” Without it, you can lose your position and your bearings. But with hope, you can remain firm.
May your hope be renewed this Christmas,
Chaplain Mark
Prayer for the Day:
Dear Lord, Thank you for the hope that you have planted deep in my heart and soul. I must admit, Lord, that there are some days when that is about all that keeps me going. Other times it is easy to have hope, because things improve, and I start getting a little excited. Give me the kind of faith that remains steady. Remind me today and every day that you are the God of hope, and that you are faithful to sustain me. If there is anyone I am about to give up on, or something that I felt was a promise from you which is taking a long time to come to pass … renew my hope and put me back at ease. And Lord, if there is someone around me who seems to be losing hope, let me be their reminder of your faithfulness. In your Son’s name I pray, Amen.
An Old Testament prophecy about the coming Messiah:
Isaiah 42:1- “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations.
2- He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets.
3- A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
4- he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.”
5- This is what God the LORD says– he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it:
6- “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles,
7- to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.