As usual, this post does not come from a "think tank" of philosophical debate that occurs within the ivory towers of Seminarian Castles, but are my observations of lives lived out (that is what I also call sidewalk theology).
As I think about seeing the whole person, I come to the place of how that relates to a couple of other issues, the first being pedestals. I have noticed that when someone only sees the good in another person, then that other person is already placed on a pedestal and is worshiped without either one realizing it. It seems to me that the same thing also happens when someone only sees the bad in themselves. In that case, it seems that others are then placed on a pedestal and worshiped without either party realizing it.
Also, it appears to me that when someone only sees the bad in another person, then they have placed themselves on a pedestal above that other person and without realizing it, seek worship. The same effect seems to happen when someone only sees and promotes the good about themselves. I mean that when someone only acknowledges the good about themselves, then they are putting themselves on a pedestal above others to be worshiped.
I have seen a real danger of people coming out of Seminaries and exploiting the bad of people to the point where those same people only see the bad of themselves and at the same time, the Seminary graduate is promoting the good about themselves. I have seen this played out to where the Seminary graduate becomes a "Jim Jones" type figure among these people.
From what I have seen, people who sees and acknowledges that everyone including themselves are both good and bad, then they are able to see everyone on an equal plane and not on pedestals. I am not saying that everyone is 50/50 on being good and bad, but that everyone has done some good things and everyone has done bad things to some degree.
I think that this is also vital in how we extend grace to others. It seems to me that when believers in God see life this way and that it is God who is changing us from within, when those believers are free to extend grace to other believers and to realize that God is also changing those other believers from the inside also.
I am glad I never ended up such a person. Though going to seminary, I majored in Church History so I wasn't really on the track to be a pastor or something. As it turned out I ended up being a computer programmer.
ReplyDeleteI spent quite a while though supporting people who were in that pedestal role. I accepted the basic assumption that that was valid. Lately I have changed my mind, as you have.