Video of pastor playing piano in flooded home in Texas strikes chord

Aric Harding plays a gentle, haunting melody on his piano. Screengrab from Instagram

In the video, Aric Harding plays a gentle, haunting melody on his piano, his face in shadow, the instrument highlighted by the sun and his legs planted in murky, brown water sloshing around his living room.

Harding had a friend record the video Tuesday in his Houston, Texas, home for his 13-year-old son, an avid piano player.

‘‘I just wanted to make a quick video to show him that pianos works fine,’’ even in a flooded home, he said Thursday.

The family had evacuated days earlier, when floodwaters from Harvey started to seep in through the floorboards. Harding had returned to retrieve some beloved stuffed animals for his seven children, to offer them some comfort.

He posted the video on Instagram, where it has struck a chord with people from across the globe. He says many have told him it has helped them take a timeout from the chaos of the flooding.

‘‘I was doing something simple, but it’s getting to be used for something that makes a difference for people and that’s awesome,’’ he said.

Since taking the video, people from the church where he works as a pastor and locals helped rip out the flood-soak innards of his home.

‘‘Our front yard looks like an apocalypse, there’s just mounds of furniture and flooring,’’ he said.

He and his family don’t expect they’ll be able to return for months, but they’re taking solace in the community rallying to help those in need.

‘‘I’ve met so many people and had real conversations with people I’ve never had chance to talk to before,’’ Harding said. ‘‘(Harvey will) change the city forever.’’

Harding’s son chuckled at the video and told his dad the piano was badly out of tune. But they could be getting a new one soon.

‘‘We have had a lot of piano offers,’’ Harding said.

Watch the video below:

View this post on Instagram

I went back to our street today because as you guys have probably seen the water has come back with a vengeance. I hope this was its high point. I grabbed the kids' favorite stuffed animals that we had left behind and a couple of games to keep the kids occupied. I think it's all finally sinking in a little. What we used to have going as a city is gone. I really think God is going to do something completely new here. I am excited to see the new beauty in the suffering. Our pastor @bruce_wesley reminded us of that truth from Romans 8 this morning on his Facebook Live broadcast. “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:18-28‬ ‭ESV‬‬

A post shared by Aric Harding (@aricharding) on Aug 29, 2017 at 1:37pm PDT