What do you look like through the eyes of others? When others see you or think about you do they say or think about you? I believe we were all created in the image of God but sometimes along the way we, through life's circumstances, sometimes view others as if that image has been tainted. Is it true that we can look at other human beings and somehow convince ourselves that they have stooped to the level of being subhuman? We tend to be judgmental towards others based on appearances, attitudes, or even things that they have done in the past.
During his time in the Genesee Monastery, Henri Nouwen read tons of books. One book that he read was called "St. Francis of Assisi" by Gilbert Chesterton. Quoting Chesterton about Francis' compassion...on October 6th Nouwen writes:
"To him a man stays always a man and does not disappear in a dense crowd any more than in a desert. He honored all men; that is, he not only loved but respected them all. What gave him extraordinary personal power was this: that from the Pope to the beggar, from the sultan of Syria in his pavilion to the ragged robbers crawling out of the wood, there was never a man who looked into those brown burning eyes without being certain Francis Bernardone was really interested in him, in his own inner individual life from cradle to grave; that he himself was begin valued and taken seriously and not merely added to the spoil of some social policy or the names of some clerical document...He treated the whole mob of men as a mob of kings."
My niece Saige has some really good things to say that go great with how St. Francis treated people. You can watch her video by clicking here or I hope to embed it here on this blog soon.
Do you treat everyone like royalty? Or do you treat some people like they are subhuman?
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Jon