Adjusting to our Blind Spots
With the many enormous advances in automobile technology, why do we still have blind spots when we try to change lanes? Surely, our brilliant automotive engineers could have come up with something to overcome that.
Some say that if the sideview mirrors are properly adjusted, there are no blind spots; but most people arrange their mirrors incorrectly, thus creating a blind spot. If that source is correct, they must be referring to me because just last week, I almost collided with a car in the left lane, even though I thought it was clear of any traffic.
The young lady in the light blue car, hit her horn, but kindly made no visible gestures with her hands in my direction as I hurriedly swerved back into my original lane.
Another source stated that nearly all vehicles have a blind spot, regardless of the design. That made me feel a little bit better, but I had to acknowledge that if I had collided with the young lady in the blue car, it would have been my fault.
I raise this issue about blind spots because I believe we all have them. Our biases and prejudices, whether they be innate or learned behavior, can be problematic at the very least and dangerous if not adjusted.
The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 7, Verses 3 through 5, provides invaluable advice with this familiar passage…
“Why do you see the splinter that’s in your brother’s or sister’s eye, but don’t notice the log in your own eye? How can you say to your brother or sister, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ when there’s a log in your eye? You deceive yourself! First take the log out of your eye, and then you’ll see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s or sister’s eye.”
Just like the blind spot on the roadway, our nation and our world are becoming increasingly dangerous because of blind spots — not so much that we have them, but that we are unwilling to do anything to adjust them. In fact, quite the opposite is occurring. We are digging deeper and deeper into our own dogma and failing to listen to the point of view of others. What this leads to is essentially a lack of communication as we talk past each other while failing to at least listen and process their point of view.
While it is important to hold steadfast to our spiritual beliefs, we must take time to acknowledge the viewpoints of others, even if we wind up disagreeing. There are certain beliefs about which we do not compromise, but there are others about which we can find common ground.
So, before we dismiss and ultimately destroy one another, let’s reach out and consider the experience of others, while showing the grace and mercy, the love and compassion that our Lord showed us.
After all, we are all children of God, who reminds us in the 22nd chapter of Matthew: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind…and love your neighbor as you love yourself.”
Until We Meet Again, Be Blessed! – Pastor John