Yesterday’s local news showed James Toffali playing the piano on the streets in Bury St Edmunds. Known as ‘The Piano Man’, James set off from Land’s End in Cornwall on 11 July cycling with his piano 874 miles to John O’Groats – with his cocker spaniel, Jeff.
Having battled homelessness and mental health issues, he first started playing in public ten years ago. He credits public pianos, like the one at London’s St Pancras station, with helping him to ‘overcome addiction and find his footing with ADHD’.
James enthusiasm to raise awareness of mental health issues through his piano playing was impressive.
Our window cleaner came yesterday for his monthly visit. Compared to the wet and windy days we have had, I thought that yesterday wasn’t a bad day to be a window cleaner. It was dry; there was a hint of sunshine…
He’s always cheerful, chatty, and does a good job. However yesterday he was very clear: ‘At this time of year I wish I wasn’t a window cleaner. It’s too cold.’
In contrast with piano man, window cleaner man had no enthusiasm at all.
I was reminded yesterday that the word ‘enthusiasm’ comes from the Greek word ‘enthusiasmos’. ‘En’ means ‘in’; ‘theos’ means ‘god’, so enthusiasm means ‘having a god within,’ or ‘divine inspiration’.
Apparently in the 1650s the puritans would use it in a derogatory sense of ‘excessive religious emotion through the conceit of special revelation from God…’
I was reminded yesterday that the word ‘enthusiasm’ comes from the Greek word ‘enthusiasmos’. ‘En’ means ‘in’; ‘theos’ means ‘god’, so enthusiasm means ‘having a god within,’ or ‘divine inspiration’.
Apparently in the 1650s the puritans would use it in a derogatory sense of ‘excessive religious emotion through the conceit of special revelation from God…’
This morning I was reading more of the Jesus narrative from John’s gospel. Jesus brings Lazarus back to life and rides into Jerusalem on a donkey – with enthusiasm.
More impressively Jesus washes His disciples’ feet with enthusiasm. He tells them to ‘Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’
If they – and I – are to love each other with enthusiasm perhaps we need both divine inspiration and God within.
