seeing what we want to see

Do not try to explain

They will only understand you

as much as they see and hear

                                                Rumi

_____________________________

it is an undeniable truth

people see what they want to see

and hear what they want to hear

those who want a savior President

will have their savior President

no matter what

those who want immigrants to be a threat

will see and hear only that which confirms their bias

those who believe that climate change is a hoax

or that supplement “A” will cure cancer

or that vaccinations more dangerous than the diseases they prevent

will see and hear only that which keeps their beliefs intact

this tendency knows few limits

and is no respecter of ideology

we find it on the left and on the right

(perhaps not equally, but it is there)

people who want to diminish you

because you are a woman

or colored

or from another culture

or hold fast to another creed

or because you were born LGBTQI

will always see and hear that which enables them

to reject you

exclude you

marginalize you

it works both ways

lifting people up

and tearing them down

confirming and denying

and so too our relationship with Jesus

and with the Sacred/God

we tend to see what we want to see

hear what we want to hear

we ignore what does not fit our framework

Oh the pieces of scriptures we grab onto with vicious intensity

Oh the verses we simply ignore

Sadly the ones we hold fast too are often socially and culturally determined

by the time in which they were written

while the ones we ignore?

God is love (not judgement)

God loves all (not just me or us)

God expects us to feed the hungry

Welcome the stranger

God loves all

Not just those we approve of

God is not pro-power

Not pro-wealth

God is pro-sharing

Pro-giving

Pro-sacrifice

(Don’t believe me?  Read the beatitudes)

If we would walk this earth

Open

Generous

Caring

Accepting

Loving

we have to go beyond what we want to see and hear

past our own bias

and privilege

we have to go past all of that

to the place where truth lies

where the Sacred dwells

Sure, we will find, sometimes what we want to find

Sometimes?

Perhaps not

Perhaps what we will find will challenge our hearts

Our minds

And change us forever