I just noticed that when you open the men's bathroom door here at work, it makes a sound that eerily sounds like the famous two-note motif from Jaws. You know--du DUH! Feel free to draw any implications you wish from that little tidbit.

Okay, on to this serious blog entry. I was coming out of Stop n' Shop on Friday afternoon. I was hurrying a bit because I hadn't eaten dinner yet, and had the missing component in my hand (parchment paper, if you must know--I was making pizza using a stone and needed it to put between the dough and the stone). As I walked through the parking lot, I saw the back of someone who was putting their groceries in their car. He was obviously an older fellow. All I noticed was that his pants were sagging way too much, exposing more of his backside than I ever wished to see. I also saw some sanitary  undergarments (read Depends) poking out of his pants. "Well THAT'S just nasty!" or something similar ran through my head as I walked past him. And then I looked again. (Curiosity, I guess.) On the other side of him was one of those scooter-things stores provide for people who can't walk that much. Next to that was a walker. And it was very obvious he was struggling with his groceries, trying very hard to put the bags into his car while maintaining his balance. I didn't think to go and help him until I was actually in my car, and then, being the jerk that I am sometimes, I just drove away without saying a word to this man, who I now saw as a real person instead of some saggy pants with a bit of butt hanging out.

"...he had compassion on them..." You'll see these words a lot when Jesus encounters people. It really was his thing, to see people as people and love them that way. He never saw drunks or tax collectors or lepers or prostitutes, just friends who made some poor decisions but were still lovable and worthwhile. I didn't see the man in the parking lot as a person needing love or a friend. I saw him as saggy pants, as an intrusion on my landscape. And I confess, this is not the first time that's happened. I think, sadly, this happens with my quite a lot in my little world. I see the loud Hispanics, or the bum, or the addict, or the dangerous teenagers on the corner (not the ones in youth group, of course). God doesn't see those labels, though; he sees his children, and he longs to have them home.

The point of this? I need my heart changed if I want to see like Jesus does. No shock there, right? But here's the deeper question; do I really want to see like Jesus does? Because when you start doing that, then you start loving these folks. And if you love them, then you want to know them...uh oh, now I'm hanging out with loud Hispanics and bums and addicts and dangerous teenagers on the corner! What will people think? These folks are criminals, they have no future, they're the scum of society on the North Shore! I don't want to be with them! Except, that's where Jesus was when he walked the earth, with the criminal, futureless scum, loving them and welcoming them into the Kingdom. And as Jesus was and is God, that means the Almighty choose to spend his limited time on earth with them...which is exactly what we're called to do, isn't it?

I'm discovering that it's a dangerous business being a follower of Christ. To really love people, especially those the world has pretty much thrown aside, is disconcerting to many folks. I doubt I would have gotten in trouble for helping the man in the parking lot with his groceries, of course. But if I began to see all people like Jesus sees them...well, that might just lead me to some very outlandish behavior, might it? I do some pretty nutty stuff for the ones I love now. What if that love were taken hostage by God and increased to everyone I met? I'm pretty sure that would be very dangerous. I can't say for sure because I don't live that way right now. But something deep within me longs to live like that, even though it's dangerous. (Maybe because it's dangerous, who knows?)

What to you think? Have you ever felt anything similar? More importantly, what do we do about this? If it is right to live this way (and I'm operating under the assumption that it is--feel free to debate with me on that, if you want), how do we get from feeling it to being it? I don't have answers or anything, and I don't really expect you to, either. But together maybe we can discern where to go from here. I certainly hope so, anyway...