seeing the world

preacher Mike posts these words from the Talmud:

“We do not see the world as it is. We see the world as we are.”

He goes on to say:

None of us has a perfect, unbiased view of truth and of the world. All we see is filtered through who we are. It’s why two people can look at the same event, the same politician, the same landscape — and see two very different things.

Very often when people complain about their spouses they’re telling us more about themselves than about the spouses. When someone says they’re in an unfriendly church (which seems to be full of people who are enjoying deep friendships), it may tell us more about them than about the church.

Only partly do we see the world as it truly is. Much of what we see is a projection of who we are — with our strengths, our convictions, our fears, our biases.

One of the most fruitful, yet difficult, journeys is the journey inward. You can tell the people who are, with all the honesty they can muster, making the journey. And you can tell the ones who aren’t.