What do you think of when you hear the word delight? For me, it conjures moments of fun, pleasure, joy and light-heartedness. It can also describe those moments when something beautiful happens, even in the midst of pain or sorrow.
Delight was what I experienced earlier this year while watching an episode of The Piano. I joined the journey in the third episode, set at Melbourne’s Preston Markets. I was having a self-imposed rest one Sunday afternoon and came across it while flicking through channels (yes, we’re rather old fashioned in our house and still have a free-to-air TV setup).
As I watched The Piano, I had a beautiful experience. For anyone who hasn’t seen it, allow me to fill you in. The show follows a number of amateur—but often very gifted—piano players who have been organised to play at a public piano. Each episode is hosted by comedian Amanda Keller, and the individuals play their chosen pieces to passers-by. Or in the episode I watched, to those simply going about their grocery shopping.
The piano players are an eclectic bunch of people, many carrying stories of hardship or overcoming adversity, with the piano holding an important place in their journey. In this episode, there was a beautiful young woman in her early 20s who had overcome anorexia nervosa with the aid of her piano playing and singing. She performed a personal composition with the words, “All you see is your flaws and failures . . . but if you just look up through your tears, maybe you’ll see what I see too” (Maybe Then, Grace, 20, Geelong).
In another episode, Maya, a five-year-old prodigy, brought three soft toys with her to the piano. She engaged with Keller shyly, with little eye contact and her mother close at hand—but on the piano, she transformed into an animated, elegant little pianist who played a complicated classical piece. Then there was Michelle, who, despite being deafblind, played by memory. She came alive, expressing so much emotion in her body as she “spoke” through her playing.
Now, I am no judge of piano playing, but some of these musicians seemed extremely talented. And, unbeknown to them, two very accomplished pianists were quietly “judging” in a manner of sorts. In episode three, Australian classical pianist Andrea Lam and America’s Harry Connick Jr were hidden in a closed flower stall and offered commentary throughout. Their commentary was supportive and explanatory—which I really appreciated. Their aim across the series was to choose one participant from the 20 or so featured, to join them in a concert at a prestigious venue in Sydney.
It was a delightful show—the kind that moves me to tears—as people expressed both their pain and joy through their companion, the piano.
“All you see is your flaws and failures . . . but if you just look up through your tears, maybe you’ll see what I see too”
grace, 20, geelong
But what struck me the most was this thought I had while watching: I see how God delights in each of His children. Now, forgive me if this seems like a bit of a leap—particularly if you are not a Christian. However, I am, and my worldview is grounded in the idea that there is a Creator God who made you and I. Crucially, not only did He make us—but He delights in us (Genesis 1:26,27; Psalm 18:19).
When I look at the world around me—especially through the lens of the news—I don’t always see much about people that helps me understand why God delights in us. We seem to be a very messy, unkind, vengeful and sad lot. You only need to look to the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza to see some of the worst aspects of humanity. Closer to home, we have issues with food insecurity and homelessness—even though we are, in reality, a wealthy country, able to feed and clothe everyone if we distributed our wealth more fairly.
When I see a show like The Piano, I feel refreshed. It’s like I caught a glimpse of what God sees—a view of people we don’t always witness. It got me thinking that maybe there is something in all of us that is beautiful and delightful. And God, from His vantage point, can see that too. He saw the beauty and hope for a better future in the musician Grace, who in her lyrics seems at some level to also grasp this: “But if you just look up through the tears, you’ll see what I see too.” And in little Maya with her hidden confidence and joy when playing the piano, and in Michelle who was able to speak again through the rhythm and vibrations of the piano.
Would it change something about the way you saw yourself if you also “looked up” and caught a glimpse of God’s perspective of you—of His delight in you?
In psychology, there is a well-known concept of “unconditional positive regard”—coined by American psychologist Carl Rogers. From his perspective, unconditional positive regard is an attitude of total acceptance towards a person, even if you don’t necessarily agree with some of their choices or behaviours. Rogers suggested that this stance allows an individual the space and acceptance to grow and develop. In this space, failures or poor choices are noted, but a person’s sense of worth doesn’t change because of them—nor does the therapist’s unconditional positive regard.
Whatever you think of God, I believe the Bible demonstrates that He has unconditional positive regard for His messy children
I think Rogers was on to something with his idea of unconditional positive regard . . . and I wonder if it was because this concept already existed in God. Whatever you think of God, I believe the Bible demonstrates that He has unconditional positive regard for His messy children. Even in the middle of our mess, there is something to delight in, in each of us—some beautiful quirk, some moment of kindness, some spark of goodness. But most importantly, God delights in us because we are His sons and daughters, living beings made in His image (Genesis 1:26,27) who He gave everything for (John 3:16).
Reflecting on these moments from The Piano, I invite you to ponder this: would it change something about the way you saw yourself if you were to “look up” and catch a glimpse of God’s perspective—His delight in you? And if it did, what might that change look like, and how would you integrate this fresh perspective of yourself into your daily life?
