AMY LARSON
Staff Writer
I met someone the other day who really stood out to me. He was much unlike most people at Pepperdine; what surprised me was that he treated every person like they had such value and importance to him. Each person he interacted with, he immediately took a sincere interest in.
I started thinking about why it stood out to me so much. The more I considered it, the more concerned I became — the trait my new friend possessed was so noticeable because it was so rare. Without knowing their social status, political affiliation, religious background, or economic level, he treated those he met like they were still so important and had so much to offer — why should this be so unusual (especially at Pepperdine)?
Time and time again I have heard the expression that here at Pepperdine everyone is friendly, but no one is your friend. As a Christian institution, whether we like it or not, we’re representing God. God is love, and love is sincere. A good friend of mine, one of the most accepting people I know, was telling me his take on how to view other people, and I thought it was inspiring. He said each person he encounters (regardless of background, faith, lifestyle, status, etc.) has something profound to teach him. Besides being poignant, that statement is true.
Sometimes we seem to simply cling to the people who have the most to offer us or how make us feel the best. I am not just pointing a finger; I, too, am guilty of this.
This is something God has been dealing with me a lot about. For instance, the other day, I came across a homeless man outside a store. More often than not, I simply pass by without sharing what I have or even saying hello. As I came out of the store this time, though, I decided to treat that man like a person. A person with dignity. A person with feelings. We talked for a long time, and swapped stories and interests. We found out that we both love Johnny Cash, both do not like the taste of alcohol, and both were born on Feb. 16. I really enjoyed the conversation. And although I could not change his situation or give him a place to live, I gave what I had, which was time.
We need to recognize the inherent value and worth in other people not for what they can give us, not because they are like us or because they like us, but simply because God loves them and created them with infinite value and worth. I cannot find any place in the Bible where God suggests we love only those who love us back, only those who are similar to us, or only those who can do something for us, or those who make us feel warm and fuzzy inside. In fact, God suggests just the opposite.
In Matthew 25, Jesus is teaching some followers about how to treat people. He closes off a parable by telling the crowd that whatever they do to each other (even to “the least of these”), they are doing directly to God. When we ignore others, treat them like they do not exist, we’re doing it to God. 1 John 4:20 says that if we claim to love God but do not love the people around us, we’re really only fooling ourselves. The absolute, unchangeable, undeniable truth is that all people have unbelievable worth and immeasurable value. I challenge you to live out this fact.
02-22-2007
