Dear Cornerstone family,
The Cornerstone staff gathered for a fun fellowship lunch on Tuesday this week. As we talked and laughed about everything under the sun, the conversation turned at one point to the different personalities and perceptions God has given us and how those differences give shape to the way we see and experience the world. At some point, the comment was made, “So, if you’re sitting on a pier watching your children tube on the lake, do you see them having a good time or do you see all the ways they can possibly die?” As you’d guess, some of us primarily see the good time on the water while others of us are mapping the quickest route to the closest hospital! We’re all seeing the same thing––kids tubing on the lake––but what we “see” is radically different.
Now, let me ask you: which person is seeing things correctly? Is it the person seeing danger? Or is it the person seeing a good time? If you’re hesitant to answer, that’s a good sign. The question is a false dilemma. I’m making you choose between two things that aren’t mutually exclusive. In this case, both people are seeing something correctly.
I italicized something in the previous sentence to emphasize that both perspectives see a particular aspect of the situation correctly. One person is seeing the fun time on the water while another person is seeing (potential) danger. It’s good and right for both perspectives to be present. In fact, we need both perspectives.
We need people who can see the good time on the lake, for that is difficult for some of us to see. Some of us can get so tunneled in on potential dangers that we miss the good happening right in front of us. The seeing good perspective widens the reality of the seeing danger perspective, tempering fear and freeing us up to receive the good that is there.
At the same time, we need people who can see the dangers and sound the alarm. In fact, those who are particularly oriented at seeing the “fun on the lake” are often blind to the presence of real danger. The seeing danger perspective widens the reality of the seeing good perspective, dispelling naiveite and deepening wisdom.
The problem, of course, is that too often we absolutize our particular perspective as if it’s the only right way. When we do that, we sell ourselves and our relationships short. We cut ourselves off from the gifts, experiences, and perspectives of one another. At a more troubling level, we cut ourselves off from the grace God provides in and through the church.
Bet you didn’t expect me to say “church,” did you? We tend to view (read: perspective!) church as a place we go (the chapel) or an event we attend (worship). But if we’re tracking in the truth of the Scripture, we must recognize the church to be people—God’s people. And right now, you’re surrounded by them! Each person—including you, if you’re a follower of Christ—has God-given gifts, experiences, and perspectives that are intended for the building up of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:15-16).
So, how about you get to know someone new this morning? Invite them over for lunch or coffee later in the week. Tell your story. Listen to their testimony. Let their gifts, experiences, and perspectives widen your own reality as you share Christ together. In a word, receive the gift of the church.
Your servant,
