God-Lenses

Since my people are crushed, I am crushed. Jeremiah 8:21 NIV

I have a habit of people-watching. It's honestly one of my favorite pasttimes! Going to a mall can be quite entertaining on a busy Saturday afternoon. Lots of people - each with his or her own story.

It's easy to look around and pass judgment on each person as he walks by me. But what if I was to look at that person with God-lenses? In other words, look at that person as God looks at him. Of course, it's impossible to see into the heart as God does, but body language and facial expressions can sure give away a lot of information about what kind of day the person is having!

With people-watching comes a natural kind of self-righteous judgment:

"She sure doesn't look or sound like a Christian to me."

"Look at the clothes he's wearing!"

"Did you see how she reacted to her child?"

How does God react when He looks at these people? Empathizing with how God feels when He looks at His children is an important part of our lives. Reacting not with self-righteous judgment, but instead with heart-wrenching sadness when we see someone who obviously is in rebellion to the Lord. The people we watch are God's creation just like we are. He loves them just as much as He loves us. God doesn't have favorites!

So then shouldn't we have empathy? Shouldn't we look at people with God-lenses, celebrate with joy when we see Christians reflecting and glorifying Christ and mourn like the prophet Jeremiah: "Oh, that my head were a spring of water and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night for the slain of my people." (Jeremiah 9:1 NIV)