See As God Sees

It is not often that I hear something said at church that lingers with me after I leave. But last week, the priest said something during his homily that pulled me out of a daze and made me pay closer attention. And a week later, I still find my thoughts drifting back to his words.

He said, “God sees not as we see.” Or rather, while humans see the appearance of things, God has the capacity to look into our hearts and see the ultimate truth.

God sees not as we see......it’s a statement that I believe to be true and that I think any person of faith would concur with. But what made me keep coming back to those words in the week that followed is my even stronger conviction that humans also have the capacity to see as God see---perhaps not to the same extent, but I do believe it is possible. It is a rare person who can see through such eyes. And to come by such a gift is no doubt the result of a certain amount of struggle, loss, and sacrifice.

Everyone, myself included, judge people everyday. And we often do so based on appearances alone. We look at a person standing on the street corner clutching a dirty and crumpled cardboard sign. Their eyes are hollow, yet they search the stream of cars passing by. Most of us drive by, pretending we don’t see them, and silently dismiss them as lazy, worthless individuals. But have you ever driven by and actually met their gaze---actually wondered what their story is. Because if I’ve learned anything in this life, it’s that everyone does have a story and that things are rarely what they seem.

Do you have a best friend, girlfriend, husband, son/daughter or sibling that you think you know inside and out? Are you there for them whenever they call? Do you stand beside them through good times and bad? Would you give away everything you have before you’d see harm come to them? That’s called unconditional love. It’s something most of us feel for at least a few people in our lives. The problem is that most of us only demonstrate this love towards people who love us back. But what about all of the other people in our lives....the ones who let us down and often abandon us at the drop of a hat? What about the ones who drain us of all the love we have to give but are never there in our time of need? What about the people we barely know? What about the people who stand on the street corner holding those cardboard signs?

You may never have realized it, but those people in your life you do love unconditionally, you are actually seeing them as God sees them. You see all of their flaws and inadequacies, but you love them nonetheless. You see the tears on their heart long before they migrate up to their eyes. You recognize when they make mistakes but automatically forgive them. But God isn’t selective in whom he chooses to see this way. He sees each and every one of us through the same eyes.....eyes of unavoidable clarity, undeniable compassion, and endless forgiveness. It is the way we need to try and view the whole world, not just the pretty parts.

Christ is perfection exemplified. He holds a standard none of us will ever match, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try for it. It is easy to love the people who love us back. It is easy to not pass judgment on those people who’ve always had your back. But the path to enlightenment, inner peace, and eternal bliss is never going to be the easy one. Learn to look beyond the appearance of things and people---knowing that you will never fully understand someone’s story until you have walked in their shoes. Learn to extend a hand of love to people you don’t know/don’t like/don’t understand. There is a very real possibility that you will never receive anything in return from these individuals, but no act of kindness or love is ever a waste in this world. I know a lot of rich people, successful people, and happy people. But despite all these people have, deep down they still all want the same thing I think the loners, misfits, and beggars of this world want----to be shown love, compassion and someone who isn’t afraid to meet their gaze.

None of us will ever really be able to see as God sees, but if we are willing and purposeful, he may just give us a glimpse every once and a while. Just think how different the world would be if all of us tried it for one day?