Perception is Reality… Even When it is Not.
Have you ever been so certain of something only to discover that you were wrong? When you realized you were wrong, did you change your viewpoint or did you continue to express how you were still right… somehow?
On Facebook and other social media platforms I have noticed a lot of false information being share by too many people (both left and right). Many of us are so eager to share information that supports what we think or believe even if the information is false. The insight I have had is that we (as in EVERYONE in this world) are egocentric. Think about what the word egocentric means. Egocentric refers to the natural limitation on our perception caused by the simple truth that we can only see the world from our perspective. We see the world from the inside out, a fact that leads everyone to be at least somewhat self-centered. As a result we often find ourselves in conflict with one another because we naturally see things from our own point of view.
The fool is the person that cannot see beyond their own point of view. Hear what Proverbs 18:2-3 has to say, “Fools find no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing their opinion. When the wicked arrive, so does contempt; with shame comes insult.” I don’t want to be a fool, but sometimes I struggle with what I have have been taught verses what I have experienced.
Imagine if you were Galileo Galilei, the late 16th and early 17th century Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer. Galileo was in conflict with the church over the thought that the Earth revolved around the sun instead of the other way around. A majority of educated people subscribed to the view that the Earth was the center of the Universe, but his observations and experience was suggesting differently. Galileo defended his belief based on his own astronomical observations, but the church at the time argued that he was attempting to reinterpret the Bible. The church would continue in its thinking despite real evidence and would condemn Galileo for not recanting. I wish we would have learned from our past, but there is still great evidence that the church today is harming people who have a different experience of reality.
Experience is a double-edged sword. It can help us to recognize the inaccuracy of something we have been taught, but it can also distort our view of reality. So how do we use the tool of experience correctly? How can we reconcile the experiences of others with our own? Join us this Sunday (August 30th) at 8:30 AM (traditional service) and 10:45 AM (contemporary service) as we continue this discussion.
In God’s grip,
Rev. Chuck Church
