I was reading the Gospel of John, where Jesus was addressing the disciples about His upcoming departure and trying to reassure them that they wouldn’t be left alone. They didn’t have Holy Spirit living inside of them yet to help them understand what Jesus was saying, but they understood He was going to be with the Father–but they weren’t to despair because, one day, He’s coming back for those who love Him and keep His commandments.
Then Judas (not Iscariot) said, “Master, why is it that you are about to make yourself plain to us but not to the world?” And that’s when He said it. This is the phrase that resonated in my heart…
“Because a loveless world,” said Jesus, “is a sightless world…” John 14:23 (MSG)
He went on to say more about those who love Him, that they will keep His Word and the Father will love them. But that sentence—”a loveless world is a sightless world”—it stuck in my throat and sent me in pursuit of a deeper truth.
One of my favorite names in the Bible for God is El Roi…the God who sees me. It’s so intimate and personal. It’s invested and purposeful and loving. With all there is to see and all the people there are who are calling His name, the Father sees ME. I feel so cared for in knowing this. I feel protected and secure. I love that the God of all Creation cares to see me!
But, you know, that’s not enough. Not only does He see me, but He wants me to see others on His behalf. Let me explain…
I felt invisible for years when I was younger…at school, in my neighborhood, even at church. I know what it was like to have people pass right by me and never even acknowledge I was there. I know what it was like to be edged out of conversation circles and blindly bumped into without anyone apologizing for nearly knocking me over. I know what it was like to suffer two back-to-back, devastating losses in my family, yet no one knew, and I felt like I was just a grieving, faceless, waste of space.
Now, because of these experiences, I have a huge sensitivity to the unseen. The song “Does Anybody Hear Her” by Casting Crowns brings me to tears every time I hear it because I can literally feel the plight of the unheard, unseen main character who is spiraling steadily downward. She is hoping someone…anyone…will see her and help her stop.
That love for the unseen also causes me to be greatly disturbed when I witness someone pass by a homeless person on the street and I notice them clutching their purse a little tighter, hastening their steps, and brushing by, purposefully not making eye-contact. It hurts my heart that there are people who are standing right in front of us, but we won’t look past the dirt and the fear and the pain—and Lord forbid, the possibility they might ask something of us—long enough to see them….to smile…to maybe even love them or touch them or ask them something about themselves or their day that would help make them feel like more of a person…to let them and their plight and a hope for their future be seen. In my heart I’m screaming, “Doesn’t anyone see this?” But then I remember…I only see them because I was first seen by my Father.
But it’s not just the homeless. There are people everywhere who are in desperate need of something that is so simple and completely free…just being seen. It’s not just a want, but it’s a need for us all to be acknowledged as living, breathing, human beings—flaws and all—and to be reminded that we have intrinsic value because we are made in the image of God…that we are ALL fearfully and wonderfully made.
So here’s the challenge: That person who sits in the back row and sneaks out before the end of service each week…I was her once. Please, let that person know you see them. That struggling mom who is yelling at her kids in public…don’t berate her, but bring God’s peace with you as you let her know you see her and can maybe even relate to her frustration. The cashier in the drive through…use his name and let him know you see him trying to do the best job he can. The elderly person in town that doesn’t come outside so much anymore…Are they well? Do they need help? Find out! The person on the bus, in the store, at the park, down the street…there’s no shortage of people who are longing to be seen, and once you see them, it might open a door for you to help them get to know why you saw them and why you care. Because you were first the one who was seen by a loving, personal, intimate God…One who will remain with them long after you’re gone.
Some people say “Seeing is believing.” But I say, “Seeing is loving.” Because, when you truly see with the eyes of the Father, you can’t help but love.
“This is the kind of fast day I’m after:
to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts.
to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts.
What I’m interested in seeing you do is:
sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families.
sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families.
Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will turn around at once.
Your righteousness will pave your way. The God of glory will secure your passage.
Then when you pray, God will answer. You’ll call out for help and I’ll say, ‘Here I am.’ – Isaiah 58:6-9 (MSG)
220 Gal 
Bless you for this post Lisa! It's wonderful and heart wrenching at the same time. Thank you!
LikeLike
Thank you, Kristi! There are far too many people just begging to be seen, and it costs us nothing to simply see them and love them. ❤
LikeLike