If We Only Knew…
Have you ever thought you knew someone and then you heard their story?
It happens all the time. We follow them on Instagram. We see them posting their travel adventures, their workplace success stories, their new baby photos, and suddenly, their lives, through our screens, seem picturesque. And, then, one day, you learn an aspect of their story you had never heard before, and you realize just how your assessment of their reality was incredibly miscalculated.
I’ve done it, too. It is really convicting. We think to ourselves:
How could I have thought that about them?
Man, if I only knew about the cancer diagnosis.
If I only knew their child was struggling.
If I only knew they just went through a break up.
If I only knew …
There is so much about even some of our closest relationships that we just do not know regardless of their social media presence; and yet, we think we do know them. We think we know how they’re doing. We think we know their present reality. We think we know what’s challenging or rewarding for them. When really, we don’t.
What if in our relationships we began with the assumption that we know nothing about them? In fact, what if we treated every new relationship like a blind date. Not a ‘this-is-a-first-date-but-we-have-been-talking-online-for-a-month’ date, but a real, blind date. We know nothing about the other person, just where to meet them and when.
It’s amazing how that small shift in thinking changes our posture towards one another. We become learners instead of assumers. We ask more questions instead of write our own version of their story.
The Bible is full of accounts where many faithful religious leaders misinterpreted the person of Jesus. In fact, Jesus knew this was happening so (in Matthew 16:13) he turned to his disciples and asked them: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied with ‘some say’ statements ... Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” And then Jesus basically says, I’m not asking what ‘some’ or ‘others’ say, I’m asking about you.
“Who do you say I am?” That’s when Peter answered ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus celebrates Peter’s reply as a revealed truth given to Peter by God.
I can’t help but think how easy it would have been for me to be one of the “some say” folks. It’s a lot easier to say what others say then to face the reality of what I say and believe. ‘Some’ could be wrong, and I do not want to be ‘some.’ Yet, it is the ‘some say’ assumptions that lead us down the path of avoiding what we actually think and believe; or perhaps even worse, the ‘some say’ assumptions can prevent us from doing our own searching and seeking.
While seeking to understand our relationships is no comparison to seeking to understand Jesus, the two mysteries relate. If we are not willing to further understand our God, how likely are we to want to understand each other? The same Father who revealed Jesus to Peter wants to use our current relationships to reveal Himself to us. It’s in understanding each others’ stories that the gospel continues to manifest in people’s lives. It’s how we know and are reminded that God is still in the business of changing lives. It’s how we are reminded how He is still at work in our own lives. It’s why we gather for weekly worship to be reminded that the body of Christ is functioning in powerful ways that aren’t always revealed without a bit of searching. Oh, if we only knew …
-Rachel
