One of the memes that has been going around recently shows a photo of Mr. Rogers with his neighborly smile next to a photo of Tom Hanks in the crazed look of his Cast Away role. The caption reads something like, “Your pastor before Covid. Your pastor now.” I love it. It humorously illustrates the real effects of this challenging season that all of us are feeling (and showing!)—including ministers. While I’m certainly among those ready for this ordeal to end, I am not among those most profoundly affected by it. Some have lost loved ones. Some have lost jobs. Some have had almost no human interaction for months—and they feel profoundly lonely. They may not be stranded on a deserted island or talking to a volleyball (yet!), but they are perhaps closer to the experience of a cast away than many of us realize.
Human beings were made to connect. As introverted as some of us are, we are all social creatures. Companionship and regular interaction with others are not luxuries of life; they are needs. Those of us who are regularly getting out and seeing people (above the nose anyway) might need to spend some time asking ourselves, “Who have I not seen?” Then give them a call. A simple phone call does not merely brighten their day; it meets a real need—every bit as real as the need for things like food and shelter.
I was reminded recently of a word used by the Zulu people of South Africa to greet one another: sawubona. It means: “I see you.” It sounds kind of funny to our ears (and especially weird if you use it over the phone!), but it expresses something that every person truly needs and longs for: to be seen by another, to be noticed, to be heard, to be known. The story is told in Scripture about Hagar, the servant girl of Abram and Sarai who—after doing what they asked—found herself put away harshly, having nowhere go and no one to turn to. She fled to the wilderness, pregnant and alone. There, the angel of the Lord found Hagar and spoke into her situation. Profoundly touched, “[s]he gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”” (Genesis 16:13). We all find ourselves in a wilderness of loneliness at times, and we have a God who finds us there. He sees us there. He knows. He cares. And in God’s wonderful way, he helps us in such times to see the One who sees us.
The God Who Sees Me
One of the memes that has been going around recently shows a photo of Mr. Rogers with his neighborly smile next to a photo of Tom Hanks in the crazed look of his Cast Away role. The caption reads something like, “Your pastor before Covid. Your pastor now.” I love it. It humorously illustrates the real effects of this challenging season that all of us are feeling (and showing!)—including ministers. While I’m certainly among those ready for this ordeal to end, I am not among those most profoundly affected by it. Some have lost loved ones. Some have lost jobs. Some have had almost no human interaction for months—and they feel profoundly lonely. They may not be stranded on a deserted island or talking to a volleyball (yet!), but they are perhaps closer to the experience of a cast away than many of us realize.
Human beings were made to connect. As introverted as some of us are, we are all social creatures. Companionship and regular interaction with others are not luxuries of life; they are needs. Those of us who are regularly getting out and seeing people (above the nose anyway) might need to spend some time asking ourselves, “Who have I not seen?” Then give them a call. A simple phone call does not merely brighten their day; it meets a real need—every bit as real as the need for things like food and shelter.
I was reminded recently of a word used by the Zulu people of South Africa to greet one another: sawubona. It means: “I see you.” It sounds kind of funny to our ears (and especially weird if you use it over the phone!), but it expresses something that every person truly needs and longs for: to be seen by another, to be noticed, to be heard, to be known. The story is told in Scripture about Hagar, the servant girl of Abram and Sarai who—after doing what they asked—found herself put away harshly, having nowhere go and no one to turn to. She fled to the wilderness, pregnant and alone. There, the angel of the Lord found Hagar and spoke into her situation. Profoundly touched, “[s]he gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.”” (Genesis 16:13). We all find ourselves in a wilderness of loneliness at times, and we have a God who finds us there. He sees us there. He knows. He cares. And in God’s wonderful way, he helps us in such times to see the One who sees us.