Have you ever met someone that you just didn’t like?
It doesn’t mean you think that person is bad, evil, or otherwise. It just means you wouldn’t choose to go to a ballgame together.
What a crazy, odd quirk of humanity this is…the anatomy of “I don’t like you.”
Experts say that we humans size each other up and begin to draw conclusions from our first impressions in about 20 seconds.
Everything from hairstyle to clothing, to speech pattern, to gestures send us subtle yet overwhelming cues about what kind of person this other human being might be…and we begin to segregate them into “our kind of people,” or “not our kind of people.”
Should we make it through the phase of first impressions, there are whole layers of world-view, interests, politics and shared affinities and attitudes that determine how well we jive with another person.
The seeds of “like” and “dislike” implant in seconds but can take years to overcome.
It’s a miracle that any of us choose to like each other at all. Really, it is…it’s a God thing.
Believe it or not, there are people in the world who don’t like me. Amazingly, there are even folks out there who don’t like you, either.
I know this seems impossible, because we are each convinced that we are our mama’s darling babies, and that all the world must surely recognize the inherent goodness and purity of our souls and spirits, not to mention our dashing wit and charisma…right?
Don’t forget our “amazing senses of humor” and “devastating good looks.” We’ve got it going on, right? Surely goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our life, and so must a long line of admiring followers…
Well…not necessarily.
For whatever reason, the history of humanity seems to answer the question, “can’t we all just get along?” with a resounding “no.”
“Why Can’t We Be Friends?” Because I don’t like you.
In light of this reality, should we all just pack our collective marbles and head for the house?
I don’t think so.
There are still all those pesky things that Jesus tells us ---- about loving our neighbors as ourselves, about bearing each other’s burdens, about praying for our “enemies,” and he never once asks us whether we get the warm fuzzies about any of it. He doesn’t really seem to care about how much we like each other ---- but whether we will love each other.
After all, anyone can associate with and pray for their friends. It’s easy to like the people who like us. Even a “gentile” can do that.
But here’s the deal: brokenness is a real thing. You don’t have to look far to know that hatred, violence, war and murder happen every day in this world. Not only do we not like each other, we tend to do some bad, bad things.
In the last 72 hours, we’ve all been overwhelmed by the news of the mass shootings and murders that happened at Virginia Tech. Our hearts and prayers are completely joined to the families of those who have been so tragically killed.
For me, as a pastor many miles away from the scene, and with no one in my congregation directly impacted, watching our human reaction to this tragedy has been fascinating.
There are those who look at brokenness, from the silliest “they don’t like me,” or “I don’t like them,” to the realities of the most depraved acts of violence and say, “see, I told you God is not real.”
But others find a different path.
Wednesday morning, a friend pointed out something they’d seen on a post-Virginia Tech interview with a pastor on Good Morning America. When asked how a person of faith should react to such violence, he simply said, “God is even here.”
To me, the miracle is that as 8 billion people stroll around the planet every single day, acts of unspeakable evil happen so rarely.
So many people are so very good.
Folks, that’s God at work among us.
I know how little consolation that truth must be to those who mourn a bitter loss on this day. One person choosing the path of deepest evil can cause a seemingly infinite amount of pain.
And yet…where that one has chosen the darkness…hundreds and thousands at Virginia Tech, millions in our country, billions around the world…choose the light every single day.
God is even here.
God is good.
Don’t believe me? The next time that person you don’t like does something good for you (and they will), or cuts you some slack, or gives you a break…remember that God is here. God is good, and God is at work in this world. The proof is all around us.
And let’s all stop and say a prayer for the people of Virginia Tech.
Grace & Peace,
Adam
Our new Sunday School classes are underway with great success. Sue Goldsmith's class had a great response to "Prayer: Does It Make a Difference" by Phillip Yancey, and several families took part in "Leading Your Child to Jesus," in the sanctuary between worship services. Don't forget that your primary opportunity for bringing your child to Christian Education happens at 10:15 every Sunday morning. There are now three adult classes, and opportunities for children and teens of all ages.
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