Perspective

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. We cannot know anything except from our own perspective, our own little window to the world. My perspective is limited by time, the day I was born and the years I’ve lived out. It is limited by geography, where I have lived. It is limited by my own intelligence or lack thereof, as well as how willling I am to learn from others.

But, our perspecitve can always be expanded, by reading, by traveling, by interacting with people of different backgrounds, nationalities. faiths, and ideology. If we are willing to try to see beyond our own little glimpse into the world, God can expand our perspective as far as we’re willing to allow.

In the Bible, God used people with limited perspective to instruct us about who He is and how He operates in this world. In the gospels (the new testament books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), the only account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead is in the book of John. John devotes 44 verses of chapter 11 to this extraordinary event. John 11:1-44. If the length of the account is any indication of its importance, it was incrediby important to John, given that it he devotes so many verses to it. Because of the importance John obviously placed on the event, especially given that this miracle is so much more startling and, well, miraculous, it makes me wonder why there is no other account of it in the Bible.

Ultimately, only God knows that. However, It does tell me that my limited perspective is valuable to God and those He’s connected me to, which includes anyone reading this. Although I can only know what I know, God surely placed me here and now for a reason that suits His purpose. Hopefully, what I see through my little window to the world can help someone else see the world from a new perspective.

The point is–God values our individual perspective, and we should too, especially as it evolves over time by our connections to others. God works all things for good, to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28. I will be looking out my window and keeping the light on. Say howdy if you see me!

Amen and amen.