My husband and I were driving to dinner. There was a motorcycle right behind us and his radio was so loud we could hear it inside of our car. Both of us completely understood that when you ride a motorcycle, the wind is so loud that you have to turn the radio up loud to hear it. We talked about the situation though. Both of us had experiences where other drivers had been in cars but played their radios so loud it literally rattled our car. Sometimes it feels like other people aren’t aware of the other people around them.
I have written about this idea before. When I walk through a grocery store, I see other people and notice them, but I don’t think other people notice me or anyone else around them. I think sometimes people just want to be seen. Today, when I went with my husband to the store, as we were checking out, I noticed the clerk’s name and I mentioned it to him. He smiled a little more and seemed to brighten up. I’m not sure exactly why, but I think because of the internet and social media, we have become such an anonymous society that people don’t get enough interaction with people who really see them for who they really are.
God ask us to love each other as we love ourselves. I think the first part of that is being able to love and accept myself. The next step is being able to look at my brothers and sisters in Christ and really see them, the way that I see myself. When I look at myself, I don’t just make a passing glance at some stranger. I see someone that I really know. I see a person with hopes, dreams, sorrows, flaws, and a whole lot of other things. I see a complex human being. I can’t just make a passing glance at the people I come into contact with. I can’t just be quick to anger at some asshole driver. I must try to look closer and see the way that God wants me to see.
My faith saved me. May God’s peace reside in all of our hearts.
