Consideration Opens Eyes

We usually think 'we' are normal, right?

It is other people who are weird, or less than normal.

To think 'we' are a bit strange, is to risk much.

Risk being wrong.

Risk looking foolish.

Risk being outside the cultural comfort zone of conformity.

Culture's mainstream and 'normalized' behaviors that, in another culture, are found to be obscene, depraved, or 'unnatural'.

When considering others being right (and perhaps ourselves as wrong), we risk second guessing ourselves, our thoughts, our ways.

We open a door to doubt.

But what are we doubting?

To acknowledge even the possibility that 'we' may be a bit (or greatly) askew, is scary.

To question one's rational mind and logical manners (or the lack of them), is like questioning our existence as we understand it.

Our rational existence in a world that should be rational, but often is not.

It is usually the world who has gone crazy, and we have not.

When we consider our siblings, it is usually 'they' who are a bit 'different', right?

We may think ourselves as the child with the right mind.

It is 'us' who has the proper view of things regarding our relatives.

We have the better ability of seeing things as they really are, or what happened in the family.

You cannot 'see' from another person's perspective if that perspective is unknown to you.

It is not possible to consider what another person understands if their understanding is not shared with you.

We usually assume our perspective is correct, or the proper and objective one.

To consider another person's perspective or point of view is a direction towards humility.

To only see one's perspective is holding onto pride, assuming one's thoughts are perfect.

It is to think we are 'like God'.

It is not easy to choose humility in every situation, considering humility in every mental notion.

But that consideration of others is exactly what, I propose, God desires of us.

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, 

if any comfort from His love, 

if any common sharing in the Spirit, 

if any tenderness and compassion, 

then make my joy complete by being like-minded, 

having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. 

Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 

not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 

-  Philippians 2: 1-4