Seeing Others Jesus' Way

A recent television commercial pictured people walking through life with signs listing prominent failures or accomplishments. A poignant picture of how we view people around us -- usually through eyes looking at external successes or failures.

This commercial reminded me of a conversation with a worker in a sandwich shop that humorously brought the concept of how we view people to a new level. His view of people was completely constructed around his job at the sandwich shop. People were:

• A tuna with cheese on a Kaiser roll
• A roast beef with tomato and mayo, no lettuce or pickles
• A ham and cheese with everything on it

As an emergency physician I sometimes viewed people as a body part and not as a whole person -- as in, "I just saw a. . . gallbladder in room #3" facial laceration in the trauma room"

Jesus never stopped at the externals but looked deeply into the hearts of people. He demonstrated this most poignantly with the woman at the well in John 4:4-26. Instead of REACTING to her words, Jesus RESPONDED to her heart and the needs of her soul and spirit.

This week, let us look at people, not through the grid of our "first impression bias" but with the eyes and ears of Jesus. We just might minister to someone on a real-life level and expand our own hearts with compassion.

Sharing the journey with you,