Here’s a trivia question, “What do Paul Simon and Savatage share in common?”
Okay I’ll let you Google “Savatage”. The answer: both express similar skeptical sentiments (in wildly different musical genres) about our human capacity to filter or shape the world to fit our predetermined biases. In ‘The Boxer’, Simon writes, “A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest”. In ‘Follow Me’, the band states, “A man only sees what he wants to see.”
All the demonstrations of entrenched binary approaches to life throughout the world and the many resultant pleas for respect, experienced in recent months seem to indicate that these musical perspectives from fifty and thirty years ago were glaringly and sadly accurate (even though they lack gender inclusivity).
Part of me gets this preference for positioning oneself within the narrow confines of personal preferences and a priori perspectives. They are comfortable and familiar. Hanging exclusively with others of the same persuasion reduces stress.
Unfortunately, it also presumes that I have already arrived; that is, I more or less have a good grasp of all there is that is vital, important or worth knowing or experiencing.
And even more unfortunately, it also ignores [chooses not to hear or see] Jesus’ summary statement of his prototypical exposition of life in the kingdom of God found in Matthew 13. This conclusion can be read in verse 52. ‘He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”’
There is always the possibility of new as one follows Jesus – different insights, fuller ways of being faithful, greater awareness of God’s glorious person. The new of course is solidly connected to the previous (old) perceptions – eternal truths, clear conducts of right behaviour, nurturing traditions. Old and new come from the same storehouse of divine revelation through the teaching ministry of God’s Spirit.
Embracing such a living faith doesn’t permit the comfort so many find in a narrow binary world. Oh, the world of faith is binary, it’s just that the light part of that division is vibrant and expanding, always poised to explode into the darkness, wherever it is and overthrow it. Sadly, I have too often learned the darkness was sometimes lurking in my personal preferences and a priori perspectives. At first encounter with the light, the loss of those long held, though dark, prejudices was painful. In the end however, walking in the light is always more enriching and enjoyable.
Perhaps in 2020 we can, each one, seek to have 20-20 vision praying daily the words of the familiar chorus:
“Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus. To reach out and touch Him, and say that we love Him. Open our ears, Lord, and help us to listen. Open our hearts, Lord, we want to serve Jesus.” (Words by Bob Cull; alt)