Article October 17, 2011 Issue

Good call

By Richard Schaberg

First appeared as a web original on September 12, 2011

Have you ever considered how we identify those around us—how tempting it can be to make mental lists? Do we label people as lazy, jealous, too short or tall, or as someone “whom I could never get along with”? There’s the list of neighbors who have barking dogs or loud children. And how about those at work who work too hard, don’t work enough, or seem to enjoy finding fault in others. The human mind certainly loves to keep track. If any of these lists sound familiar, maybe it’s time to make some new, more spiritual “lists.”

A good place to begin may be the book of Luke (10:20) where Jesus tells his disciples, “Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” We could do a little adapting and say that we should rejoice because every relative, neighbor, or co-worker’s name is written in heaven. In other words, every person has a heavenly name, or nature, with which he or she can be identified.

God sees every idea of His creating as a unique expression of good. If God is seeing His creation this way, shouldn’t we be seeing each of His children the same way? The material senses, with all their supposed authority, would argue against this view. They argue from a matter-based perspective that says man is a flawed mortal, struggling to become better than he appears to be. Dwelling on another’s supposed corporeality would make his or her limitations and foibles seem natural and expected.

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