Seeing People, Not Problems

My church had a speaker in a few weeks ago who addressed the topic of diversity. When my husband and I heard that this was going to be the topic of discussion, we began trying to guess what he would say. To be honest, we weren’t all that excited to hear him speak.

Because we are a mixed-race family, candid discussions on race and diversity happen frequently in our home. Sometimes we grow weary of the topic. Nevertheless, we listened to this speaker and were quite impressed with what he shared.

He used the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) to illustrate how we tend to see problems instead of people. In this parable, the priest and the Levite passed by on the other side of the road when they saw the injured man because they viewed him as a problem. The Samaritan, on the other hand, “took pity on him” (Luke 10:33). The Samaritan saw him as a person in need. As a person, he was made in the image of God and was worthy of compassion and help.

Our speaker went on to say that when it comes to issues like racial tension, many of us see a problem. We don’t see people. We don’t see the individual men, women, and children—made in the image of God—who feel confused, frustrated, disappointed, hurt, etc. It’s easy to ignore or feel apathetic about a problem. Likewise, it’s difficult to take action if we don’t feel a personal connection to the problem.

This struck a chord with me because I’ve noticed this same tendency in other areas of life. When I’m stuck in heavy traffic, for example, I often get frustrated with other drivers. This is especially true when I view them as a nameless, faceless mass. However, when I remember that they are individuals who are trying to get to work to support their families, trying to stay strong as they travel to medical treatments, etc., then I tend to be a lot more calm and tolerant.

When I think about the epidemic of drug addiction in this country, it seems like an insurmountable problem. It’s also easy to judge folks who are addicted to drugs and feel that they are simply reaping the consequences of their actions. However, when I think of the individuals I know who have struggled with drug addiction, it becomes personal. I remember that there are innumerable ways that individuals get caught up in drug use. I also remember that there are effective ways to address addiction and that the lives of addicts are worth the effort it takes to help them.

What problems do you see in the world around us? Crime? Government corruption? World hunger? Teen pregnancy? The ineffectiveness of your local school system? Whatever problems you see, you won’t be able to reduce or eliminate them until you start seeing that it is individual people who comprise the problems.

When we start seeing people, two necessary things can happen. First, we can humble ourselves and get in the mess and pain of another person’s life (Romans 12:3, 9-16 and Galatians 6:2). Most of us have enough mess and pain in our own lives that we hesitate to do this, but it’s necessary! Second, we can invest in someone else’s interests (Philippians 2:4). Though our natural inclination is to do what benefits ourselves, we must consider and do what benefits others if we are to see positive change in the world around us.

Neither of these things are easy to do, but both are ways that we can practice Jesus’ command to love our neighbors as ourselves (Luke 10:27).

What are some problems you see in the world around you? How can you look beyond these to see people?

Shared at the following:

Grace and Truth and Modest Monday.