My childhood years were passed in the same general place, except for one year. But even then, it was all in the state of South Carolina. The thing about spending all your time in one general location is that your worldview settles on the familiar.
Because of this, I thought everyone drove on roads that very rarely saw another car, where all people were called “bo”, and where tractors regularly passed. As it turns out, that’s not so!
For us all, the familiar thoughts and habits of our lives become superimposed upon all others, regardless of location, economy, or language. Okay, so maybe I did realize there weren’t tractors passing regularly in New York City, but you get what I mean.
It happens that our thoughts become other’s thoughts, and our desires become other’s desires, and our preferences become other’s preferences. We make assumptions based on our experience, and those are often flawed (or worse).
So standing in the midst of a Kenyan slum, I found myself surrounded by a dozen or more children. These children were amazed, that was certain. Why they were amazed was not. As it turns out, as I would later understand, these children had never laid eyes on a light skinned person. Furthermore, they had always been taught that white people don’t work, don’t help, don’t care.
These perspectives were being undone all at once for these children. Not only were there several white people, this group of white people were there to help. To see a white person work was confusing to them, a left-over of a colonial era of years gone by.
For us, it was hard to understand how a people group could have gone for years and never seen a white person. But for all those we met in the slum, many had never left that environment. It is all they knew, and possibly all they may ever know. Except, they saw this crazy group of white people enter their home.
In the end, perspectives were changed, and awareness grew for all involved. One perspective I had was how sad and difficult the living conditions were for these families. Yet, to them, this was home. To them, it wasn’t sad and difficult, it was home. It was all they knew and quite likely the place they would prefer to be (familiarity is powerful).
For today, consider your perspectives. Take a moment or two to consider how you might be limited in scope and understanding of the people of this world. Then consider, the Gospel Truth and how it is known. The truth is, I never met a more faithful group of believers than those I met in that slum. They might not have had much, but they were rich.
Our verse for today comes from 2 Corinthians 6:10 (ESV):
as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.
Almighty Father, break our hearts for what breaks yours, tear down our perspectives built upon the moment and grant us eyes to see your Truth; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who with Thee and the Holy Ghost are One God, for ever and ever. AMEN.