Have you ever been so oblivious to what is going on around you that you simply don’t see a person standing right next to you? Somehow your mind just places a “blind spot” in your conscious vision that otherwise the person would be readily apparent in your personal space; that unique area in which you live and interact. Here’s a fictitious example for how “blind” we can be to our surroundings.
“James” drives by the same street corner in downtown, USA every weekday on his way to work. And on this same street corner, day after day, stands a homeless man. This homeless man has a hand-written sign that reads, “Please HELP Me, I’m Hungry”, which he carries in one hand and has a small empty coffee can in the other for donations. James drives by within six feet of the homeless man, but unfortunately he never recognizes him in his consciousness. For months on end it’s the same scenario until the “Holiday Season” arrives in America. You know that “season”; not Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter, no it’s the “best season of all”, it’s T.C.N.Y., that six week period that covers Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s.
Like most of us, if James is ever going to be benevolent to an unfortunate soul, the holiday season is when it will occur. So one day during the holiday season James is driving past this same corner where the same homeless man stands each day, but this particular day something is somehow different. As James brings his car to a stop for the traffic signal, he looks to his left and this time actually “sees” the homeless man for the first time standing right beside the car door. James immediately becomes interested in this man. As James assesses the situation, he sees an older, scruffy looking man, in tattered clothes, his sign, and his coffee can. James and the homeless man lock eyes at the “intersection” of helplessness and hopelessness. At that moment James knew he had to do something, so looking down at the console, he grabs a $5 bill, rolls down his car window and puts the $5 bill in the coffee can. The traffic light turns green and James speeds off feeling “good” for the holidays. Haven’t you had a similar feeling when you made a small donation to a homeless person? But wait, there’s more to this story.
Over the next week, something starts to change in James each time he drives by that street corner with the homeless man. Concern for this homeless man has interrupted his life. He can’t help but wonder more about the plight of this guy. Who is he? Does he have a place to stay warm and dry? Does he have any family nearby to help him? Is he in need of food and drink to survive the winter months? James starts to wonder if he can do anything more to help this poor man. Then one day, just before Christmas, James does the unthinkable and decides to inject himself into this man’s life. Instead of driving past the homeless man, James turns the corner, parks his car, and walks over to the homeless man. “Hey, buddy, how ya doin’?” he says to the man. “Are you hungry?” “Let’s go get something to eat.” James and the man walk a couple doors down to the nearby café where the two men share a meal and the homeless man slowly begins to share with James, who he is. “Hi, my name is Rick”, he says.
As the weeks go by, James and Rick have a weekly breakfast meeting every Friday to share stories of their lives, working to understand how each man got to where he was, and always committing to meet once again the following week. The weekly meetings were good for both men. For Rick it gave him someone to listen to his plight and share his hurts, and for James to respond to the Holy Spirit’s nudging him to recognize another human being in need and making the sacrifice and commitment to helping him.
Most of us wander through our daily routines where our individual perceptions are the realities of our lives. We are more focused on our smartphone apps, Facebook, emails, and texts, etc. than our surrounding environment. How else do you explain how two people can literally walk head-on into each other on a not so busy sidewalk? If we don’t perceive someone does it mean they don’t exist, of course not? But for whatever reason, we do not allow our senses to bring the person into our sphere of reality. Every day, we have opportunities to bring our lives into the intersection with someone in need and decisions to make. The problem is that subconsciously we choose to ignore or block out that real person in our lives. Why? My assessment is because otherwise it may require us to apply an interactive process I call R.U.C.
In the fictional scenario above, James recognized a person in need, understood what he had to do, and he committed to taking the action. R.U.C. – Recognize, Understand, and Commit. Have you ever had a similar situation in your life or maybe you too have been passing a “Rick” regularly, and have been reluctant to reach out from your comfort zone?
You see, once you recognize that person is there, it will require an interaction at the intersection of whatever crossroads that individual is facing, followed by an assessment (understanding of a need), which will lead you to having to make a commitment for addressing the assessed need.
In Matthew 25: 35-36, Jesus said “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” This was Jesus telling his disciples how to they will be judged when Jesus comes into His glory. For if you see a person hungry, sick, naked, etc. and take no action, then it won’t go well for you on Judgment Day. He went further to say, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Jesus was telling His disciples to be awake to the needs of other people, regardless of their background, culture, political identities, and beliefs, recognizing other people’s needs beyond their own needs in this world and for eternal salvation. Jesus wants all of us to help all of our brothers and sisters follow Him on the road to eternal life.
The last two years of enduring the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a huge increase in isolationism and loneliness that have dramatically reduced human interaction. We choose to ignore the intersections of human interaction perhaps because it can be overwhelming. We make a choice to NOT recognize other people, their situation, their needs in order to avoid having to try and understand them better, and worst of all, not wanting to make a commitment to taking any action to address the other person’s physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs. Jesus recognized the sinfulness of the human race, understood His role as the ultimate sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin, and was committed to obeying the Father’s will by suffering crucifixion, death, and being resurrected from the dead to bring salvation to mankind.
In today’s world we seem to be suffering a very myopic existence. Our society and the norms of today with its social media platforms are laser-focused on the individual’s demands of life. With that, we become so focused on meeting OUR needs that we don’t make time to help someone else in satisfying their needs.
Each one of us has a choice to make in life. Are we going to live in this world and give our allegiance to this world’s norms or are we going to live for God’s kingdom and pledge our lives in allegiance to His commandments and His will for our lives? We can’t have one foot in this world and one foot in God’s kingdom. As Jesus said, “One cannot serve two Masters.” That tenuous position doesn’t work. We MUST recognize, understand, and commit to one or the other. I offer that committing ourselves to God’s will and being a true follower of Jesus is the best approach in our race of life. Recognizing and bringing true reality into one’s consciousness is just the first step of the transition process.
The question is do we recognize the need for change to remove our focus on this world? Do we understand what will be required to make that transition to be completely focused on God’s will? And are we willing to commit, to go “all in” regardless of the cost, to become a totally committed follower of Jesus? How will you apply the R.U.C. process in your life?
This is the essence of recognizing, understanding, and committing your life to Christ. I pray for God to bless you with wisdom as you discern your way along life’s journey.
Live, Love, Learn and Grow in Jesus!
Blessings,
Jerry
