AMY LARSON
Staff Writer
I was born and raised in Iowa. I love that state. The people are friendly, the culture is rich and the Hawkeyes (University of Iowa) are not half bad (most of the time). However, being from Middle America also created many difficulties in transitioning to Malibu.
For instance, on one of my first days on campus, three years ago, I saw a student walking toward me on my way to class. So I said hello as she passed, something I’d always learned was a common courtesy. However, in return I received a look I can confidently call a death glare; it implied that since I did not know her, I had absolutely no grounds for greeting her. To be truthful, I was a little confused. I wasn’t trying to strike up a huge conversation; I was simply acknowledging the fact that there was another human being next to me.
All of this might sound somewhat dramatic. And true, this particular experience may be trivial, but it was the principle of the thing that irritated me. I realized that, to me, saying hello instead of simply ignoring her meant giving a nod to her value as a person. Point the finger at my small-town roots, but I think simply acknowledging a person — any person — is very important.
The more I considered it, the more I began to get angry at California. I developed an “me vs. them” mindset, convincing myself that people here were just rude for spite and only looked out for themselves. And while that may be true of some Californians some of the time (like on the 405, any weekday evening), I ended up seeing these traits more in myself as I looked for them in others.
I believe dignity is a basic right for all people, and yet I found myself denying it to others. I may have felt completely comfortable addressing a fellow student, but found myself walking right past the person trying to speak to me on the street or the person with whom it wasn’t cool to be seen. What disappointing mistakes those were, and how much I’ve missed because of them. For example, the other night I had dinner with my friend Ed. I haven’t known Ed for long, but I am amazed by him. He spoke with me about Tolstoy and Cervantes, about film directors he particularly enjoys, and about his views on faith.
It was one of the most engaging and challenging conversations I have had in quite some time. This is not uncommon for Ed — each time I see him, I know I will be able to enjoy a thought-provoking dialogue. However, I don’t know when or where I’ll see Ed, because he is a homeless man. Ed has a lot to teach me about a lot of things, but I would have missed them all had I never spoken to him.
Jesus affirmed the worth and dignity of every person he ever encountered. No matter their social status, their faith background, their occupation, or their friends — Jesus saw infinite value in everyone.
Contemplating how often the significance of each individual is overlooked may have started as a personal vendetta against those who didn’t share my Midwestern values, but further consideration leads me to question if we, as Christians, don’t often fail to view people through those lenses. Every person has a name, a past, a family, dreams, fears, hopes. Every person has worth, equal worth. I hope we’ll see that. I hope I’ll see that more clearly. If we live our lives with this conviction, operating from a mindset where everyone possesses level importance, we are a step closer to truly living what Jesus taught (Matthew 22:36-40).
09-13-2007
