Seeing First God, Then Maybe Yourself, When Seeing Others

A shirt I bought for its silly theme and price (about $3).
I noticed that I have the glasses, beard, and wear shorts often times.

It is our individual responsibility to not only question things we believe to be true, but to carefully consider the many ideas being 'sold' to us in media and elsewhere.

We may find out that a lot of the things we suspect divide and separate us from our neighbor (whether near or far) has been conjured up out of fear through long-held prejudices.

Are we able to decipher something we hold to be true, or have imagined in our minds, and realize it may actually be false?

What if some of the images we hold in mind, and ideas we believe in our hearts, has been more about traditions of men than something God-sent?

We may find out that our neighbor is actually related to us in a very signifiant way, only 'separated' from us by time and geography (and maybe a few odd ideas).

I saw this guy one day.
He was walking and looking at his phone, like the shirt character.
When I pointed my shirt out to him and suggested a resemblance, he was thrilled.

Realize how imagery does not have to be an actual physical image.

Imagery is also imaginary.

Consider the imagery people conceive in their minds when storytelling.

This is a basis of how strong religious, political, ethnic, and other ideological ideas are imagined and sought after.

Our minds often times paint pictures when hearing a story, or when listening to someone talk about any given thing.

If someone is talking about the time they boarded a boat and went across a river, what comes to our minds?

Likely images of that person getting on a boat and going across a river.

The more detailed that river crossing story is, the more detailed our mind's images can become.

The mention of red shoes they were wearing, and how cold of a day it was, you imagine red shoes and however a cold day is visualized in mental imagery.

He said that this small, and silly gesture, was like a sign of love for him.
He thanked me, shook my hand, and we did one of those half hugs
 with our handshaking hands between us that men do.
Sometimes we have no idea what God brings about when we forward His Light and entertain strangers.

Like the man I took a picture with.

He had an accent in his speech, and his name signified he was from somewhere in the Middle East.

Yet his kind demeanor, his gratitude for me taking the time to say hello, make him laugh, and share light with him was something valuable to his heart.

According to DNA, we are all brothers and sisters descended from a common maternal ancestor.

Not that I needed such a scientific conclusion to affirm what I previously believed to be true.

Yet, such information helps some people who've been fooled by faulty histories narrated through negative propaganda to look beyond their imaginations.

Imaginations formulated more from man-made storytelling rather than Truth.

When we look past the imagery inspired by falsehood, we are able to see what is honest and heartfelt.

This helps us love others no matter how differently they may look from us, or their varied backgrounds.

We are able to realize what has been accomplished despite the faulty ideas men like to spread.

This is what God has accomplished, and we are amazed:

From one man He made all the nations, 

that they should inhabit the whole earth; 

and He marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 

God did this so that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, 

though He is not far from any one of us. 

‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ 

As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’ 

- Acts 17: 26-28 

So God created mankind in His own image, 

in the image of God He created them; 

male and female He created them. 

- Genesis 1: 27 

The Son is the image of the invisible God, 

the firstborn over all creation. 

- Colossians 1: 15