There are times in my life where I've been alternately mute, deaf, autistic, blind, had OCD or ADHD. I mean, I've never really been any of those, but out of nowhere I would act as though there was any number of things different with me. Before I got glasses, I thought that it would be awesome to have glasses (I was wrong) before I had braces, the same (again I was way wrong).
What brought this on? Low self-esteem? Perhaps, but unlikely, I've been pretty fine with myself throughout most of my life (aside from high school - but how is that different from anyone). I think it comes from a full on curiosity of how it is to be someone else. See, I've spent my entire life being me, and I never got the chance to be someone else. I think when I was at the character creation screen at the beginning of this game, I accidentally went too fast, and I never really thought out my attributes well enough, and I worry that I might have missed something important in beating the game of life.
As Confucius once said, "Be sure to know others, otherwise you'll never know yourself" (okay, I totally made that up, but it sounds kind of like something he'd say, right?) It comes down to this thing called empathy. I want to understand what everyone in the world is going through so that I can relate to them better. But because I've led such an easy life, I feel like I have to pretend in order to place myself in new shoes all the time to learn a new experience.
Yeah it's extremely stupid, I know, but I also know that part of my calling (and everyone's calling) is to be open and loving to my neighbor and sometimes I think that unless I understand someone else's experiences, I can't love them correctly. Instead I wind up with my foot in my mouth and a kick in my ass (although I'm not sure if its my other foot or someone else's).
So, how can I continue expressing love for strangers without knowing all of their life story? Currently, it comes down to a kind word or gesture, but I think in time I might be able to develop better ways to be open to people. Maybe I'll order a couple hundred Chick tracts to keep on my person at all times...
What brought this on? Low self-esteem? Perhaps, but unlikely, I've been pretty fine with myself throughout most of my life (aside from high school - but how is that different from anyone). I think it comes from a full on curiosity of how it is to be someone else. See, I've spent my entire life being me, and I never got the chance to be someone else. I think when I was at the character creation screen at the beginning of this game, I accidentally went too fast, and I never really thought out my attributes well enough, and I worry that I might have missed something important in beating the game of life.
As Confucius once said, "Be sure to know others, otherwise you'll never know yourself" (okay, I totally made that up, but it sounds kind of like something he'd say, right?) It comes down to this thing called empathy. I want to understand what everyone in the world is going through so that I can relate to them better. But because I've led such an easy life, I feel like I have to pretend in order to place myself in new shoes all the time to learn a new experience.
Yeah it's extremely stupid, I know, but I also know that part of my calling (and everyone's calling) is to be open and loving to my neighbor and sometimes I think that unless I understand someone else's experiences, I can't love them correctly. Instead I wind up with my foot in my mouth and a kick in my ass (although I'm not sure if its my other foot or someone else's).
So, how can I continue expressing love for strangers without knowing all of their life story? Currently, it comes down to a kind word or gesture, but I think in time I might be able to develop better ways to be open to people. Maybe I'll order a couple hundred Chick tracts to keep on my person at all times...
3 comments:
This is an awesome post, Nate. I agree with you totally. If we really knew people- who they are, their stories, their struggles- it would be much easier to love them and accept them like we ought to.
One of my college professors (for an education methods class) once told me that as teachers we had to be careful not to simplify others' struggles just to explain it to students. For example, I'll never understand what slavery was like, and I shouldn't try to pretend to understand it either because that would diminish it for those who DID go through it. Make sense?
That being said, I think you're right on about trying to remember that we don't know the whole story when it comes to others. And we should try to understand them, relate to them, and show them love in the best way we can.
It seems both a blessing and a misfortune to have no real worries or struggles. But I'm glad I have a good life nonetheless.
This is one of your best posts. I think the challenge is trying to see everyone through Jesus' eyes.
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