A Different Point of View

How often do we really look at things from a different point of view? How often do we look at things from the point of view of someone else? I mean do we really know what it is like to be compassionate and loving if we do not? Compassion means to have deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it. How often do we really have the deep awareness of another's suffering? We think we understand. We think we hear and listen. We think we know exactly where they are coming from. I would guess that most of the time we do not. It is so hard for us to get out of our own heads and our own view of life, that seeing it from another's point of view is almost impossible. It makes it particulary difficult if we are unwilling to really get to know others that are outside our "tribe." Listen to what Paul and Jesus said about having a different point of view and compassion:

Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn't take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I've become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn't just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!

I Corinthians 9:19-23

When Jesus arrived, he saw this huge crowd. At the sight of them, his heart broke—like sheep with no shepherd they were. He went right to work teaching them.

Mark 6:34

Both could see the view from other's perspective. Both engaged people in friendship, love, teaching, care, kindness and service so that they could have a life that is changed by God. Oh how practical our spirituality can be and should be. We need to jut simply love others, no matter how they identify themselves, define themselves, or hurt - our work to be in on is to love. This is the work of the message - love. This is the power of God - love. This is the action of God - love. This is the practical solution to every problem we have - love. When we fail to love it is a failure to see things from a different point of view. It is a failure of the gospel, the good news - it becomes horribly bad news without love.

Namaste'