The Windows Through Which We View the World

 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only expressing his opinion.

~ Proverbs 18:2

I had a long talk with a friend. It was a conversation that began with both of us convinced of opposite viewpoints. We both knew we were right. We knew of what we spoke. Life experience had made these things clear to us. And when life experience teaches a lesson, we know that lesson is real, it is true, it is fact. The evidence lived, experienced, witnessed first hand, this evidence declared that my viewpoint was the truth, in the same way that my friend's evidence, also lived, experienced and witnessed first hand declared the opposing viewpoint was valid and true.

 

  And as we talked I felt the ground, the solidness that I thought I stood on, begin to shift. It was a bit dizzying. Honestly, I struggled to continue the conversation because I suddenly felt something, heard something, saw something through a completely different frame that was undeniable. And it was a bit frightening.

Truth can never contradict Scripture. And it is through Scripture, through living in relationship with God, and through the working of the Holy Spirit that I am able to understand the truth. But I have to be very careful that I do not value my own interpretation of Scripture so highly that I cannot see when I have interpreted wrongly. There is a lot that goes into the framing, the window through which I see things and sometimes it is impossible to see what I don't know. 

And, even if I remain convinced that the truth I thought I knew is still the truth, I must never belittle the framework through which another sees the world, and therefore interprets the truth. That framework must always be treated with respect, even as I share the framework through which I see the world. In the same way that I don't know what I don't know, neither does the other person. And in the same way that I am led to truth through Scripture, relationship with God and the work of the Holy Spirit, I must allow those same influences to work in the lives of those around me. It is not my job to change their perspective, only to live the truth in such a way that it shines a light through a new window, frames a new perspective, in such a way that others can see the beauty of that truth. 

So lets walk around, and look through a few more windows. There is so much that is beyond our comprehension and we don't even know enough to know we don't know it.