A blessed Advent to you all! Over the Thanksgiving holiday we journeyed south to Virginia for some rest and relaxation. One of the things that we enjoyed the most were the first few days we were there. It was 70 degrees. When we spoke with someone about what the norms were for temperature for this time of year we learned that this was not a fluke but an occasional normal, so we took the beauty and warmth and ran with it.
But we did notice something that caught our eyes while we were walking around in these warmer temps. While some of us were gallivanting around in our sweatshirts and shorts there were those who were walking around as if it was below freezing. When the kids noticed that some people were bundled up they did what kids often do and drew attention to it. I think it was Barb who tugged at my arm and said, “Dad, why are those people wearing their winter coats?” And as parents do you try to both explain but also seek to not have your kid shouting out and pointing fingers. Regarding the pointing I was successful in quashing it, the shouting I was less so.
In the answer I gave to Barb, I hit upon some of the realities that exist in our lives and our world. Those realities apply to life, politics, etc. We all have a perspective through which we view things. In VA it was the perspective of how everyone viewed a 70 degree and overcast day. Those of us from up north look at the temperature and think Yippee! While at the very same time those from the south, based on their choice of clothing thought brrrrr.
Often the differences which we have in perspective is a pretty innocuous thing. But sometimes it can cause friction, anger, even hate. The challenge for all of us is to understand that a difference in how we see things and approach things does not necessarily mean that we are right and others are wrong, or that we are wrong and others are right, just that we see a problem or something with a different lens. Such a lens is developed and is different person to person.
The idea of seeing things differently has a huge proponent with faith. For instance God sees the world differently and humanity differently than we do. God sees both who we are as well as who we might be. When we embrace the idea that God sees us differently than as even we see things it can drive us or inspire us to live into that vision, living into the version of ourselves that God created us to live into. When we accept that the person in the pew next to us sees something different in scripture or in God that is different than we do, it isn’t the end of the world or the time to start a heresy trial. It’s an invitation to not only see things differently but grow our own understanding. Our friend might have had a life experience that a particular scripture speaks to, and by listening to them you might see that scripture with a little different nuance.
But there is a risk involved. Not the risk of having our minds changed. But the risk of being in community. When we listen to how someone else sees something, that we may have seen one way, we are existing in community. When we show the respect to one another by listening and hearing, we run the risk of connecting with someone, with seeing not what they see but why it is that they see it. When we open ourselves to the pain and beauty of relationship we not only embrace how God calls us to be the church but we also enhance our understanding with one another and scripture. May we grow our understanding as we live out being the body of Christ. May Peace, Hope, Love and Joy be yours this Advent.
Amen