The godly care about the rights of the poor;
the wicked don’t care at all. – Proverbs 29:7
Monday morning, walking Max on our usual loop through downtown then along the riverbank, I grabbed a couple of photographs of views I literally had not seen before. It surprised me because I am always looking for cool stuff and I do tend to keep my eyes open.
I think what has happened is that, over time, I have settled into my favorite views – places I tend to get good results – and because of that I had – have – unconsciously limited myself. Eliminating the possible in favor of the probable. Success essentially ruling out innovation.
So, spurred by that almost accidental discovery, I took a few more photographs of familiar sites but from a place I had not stood before.
The river. The church. The Town Common.
So here is what makes this post different from the ones where I say, simply, “let’s open our eyes,” or “look through a different filter… a different lens…” This time I am saying maybe we should think about looking at the world from “a place I had not stood before.”
Standing in someone else’s shoes. Standing on their side of the street. Standing on their side of the tracks. Standing in the church nursery instead of the sanctuary. Standing in the soup line. Standing in front of a school classroom. Standing with the child who cannot read well. Standing with the people you disagree with. Standing so that others can sit.
Where have we not stood before? Most of those places offer a unique view of the world and of our place in it.
This conversation reminds me of the day I took the Greyhound from Jacksonville to Wake Forest (The View From the Bus). Talk about a place I don’t typically stand.
Sometimes I think I am too rigidly rooted in the particular comfortable place where I stand; not what I stand for – that much is clear; but where it is that I am standing.
Pick a place this week, somewhere you do not typically stand. Then take a good look around. I can pretty much guarantee that the view will change you.
In love, and because if love does not go with me, then I have nowhere to stand and nothing to stand for – DEREK
Standing somewhere unexpected can lead to unexpected discoveries. – Lisa Mangum
I appreciate your post today and the challenge you present to each of us. It also directed me to read “The View from the Bus” which I applaud you for doing and for the heart-breaking stories you discovered. There is a world of pain, struggling and disappointment that many of the poor are experiencing. It seems to stem from generations of bad decisions, substance abuse and wicked people from which few seem to escape. It brought tears to my eyes as well. Thank you for keeping us a aware of the many needs of the less fortunate.
I really appreciate this, Harold. Thanks so much for the testimony and for your willingness to share. Peace and blessings from us both