Perspective

As I consider where my thoughts are going today I'm struck with the word "perspective"..... so much of our life is about perspective.  Our perspective of the world.....how others see us.....how we see them.  You know what I mean.  I tried hard to teach my kids to think in the other person's shoes or see out of another person's eyes. 

Sometimes my perspective is skewed and I'm okay with that.  There is a door I walk in every day as I come to work.  It's double doors, actually....two glass doors.  You will NEVER see me walking up to the left door.  It offers a true reflection of myself.  The right door, however, offers me a reflection that is at least 15 pounds lighter.  What rational woman wouldn't choose the door on the right? 

Sometimes other's perspectives of me are skewed and that hurts.  I probably don't have to give an example.  We've all been there.  Someone assumes something about you, acts upon that assumption in an unpleasant way, and you are hurt.  Perspective can be skewed.

How we as Americans are being seen is especially hurtful these days.  People are protesting and people are dying.  I'm haunted by the deaths of the Ambassador and other personnel in Libya.  One of the men had children....that always makes it worse.  And, we are told this is all over an independent film that has a message the protesters don't appreciate.  News reports indicate this is untrue, however, as the nature of the attacks look more organized than the "angry protesting mob" type.  Regardless, people are angry and violent.

How we see the protesters isn't much better.  I don't know about you but I tend to think of that whole area of "middle east" as dry, dusty, and full of violent, hateful people.  (That is perhaps overstating my impression as I have a child that works with refugees from this area and he helps me see these things differently)  Certainly if you watch tv or other media that is all you see.....screaming, torch wielding madmen hating on America.  Yet surely there are peaceful, loving families that live in that region of the world. 

How do the protesters/terrorists see us?  The world's police....moving into other countries wielding our big stick and telling them how they must govern/live/work/drill their oil?  Secretive and powerful?  Sending spies in to topple governments or assassinate leaders?  Allies of those that would make others homeless?  I'm not saying any of this is true (or not true) but I am saying we must consider the perspective of others. 

Then there is the video I saw of Curiosity's landing on Mars.  Thanks, Alan Chapman, for posting.  It is frightening how small and insignificant this video makes me feel.  How far away and inconsequential our world is from the perspective of Curiosity and Mars.  Then my mind goes to God and I wonder about His perspective.  He created and his creation fell.....we fuss, argue, kill one another, hate each other....we are broken people.  We are fatally flawed....doomed.  And yet, He loves us.  He came here for us.  He came in the most humble, weak and vulnerable state in which a person can find themselves.....a newborn baby.   We don't appreciate that enough. 

We continue to fail Him as we sin and re-sin and still....He Loves.  He loves with unbounded compassion and mercy without end.  If we are striving for God's perspective (which we definitely should be doing!!) these are traits we must attempt to fill our hearts with.......love and compassion and mercy.  That's not always easy considering our perspective and what we perceive to be other's perspectives but Jesus didn't give up and neither should we.