Peek-A-Boo! I Still Can See You!
One of the first play gestures parents used to engage with their little one is "peek-a-boo." It's such a simple yet amusing thing to a little baby suprised to see you after her come out behind the hands. It's less amusing when the child finally figures out that papa is still there even though he can't be seen. The child also no longer cries or panics when mama leaves the room. The child has finally achieved the developmental milestone of "object permanence" which is the awareness that objects continue to exist even when they are no longer visible. According to Jean Piaget, this is typically achieved at 8-9 months.
Last week at Viewpoints, during the first session of the Justice Mission, I shared a concept I discovered in Gary Haugen's book "Good News about Injustice." The idea is called "compassion permanence, which Haugen describes as "a courageous and generous capacity to remember the needs of an unjust world even when they are out of our sight."
Haugen adds "Not content with the infant's out-of-sight, out-of-min approach, God calls us to a grown-up capacity to engage a world of oppression with our heart and mind, even though (thankfully) it is not always before our eyes." Haugen describes how difficult this by describing how easy it is to be move from torture on the evening news to touchdowns on Monday Night Football as easy as it is to use a TV remote control.
This is so true. This week with all the suffering happening in Asia as a result of the cyclone and earthquake, I was amazed that I could go from being broken-hearted about these tragedies to American Idol or the Lakers in a matter of seconds. Of course, this is natural, and perhaps even healthy. But I wonder if it could or should be different for those who thoughtfully and passionately want to follow Jesus.
Can we hold those suffering close and dear to our heart even though we aren not present in their suffering?
"Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies." - Hebrews 13:3
Last week at Viewpoints, during the first session of the Justice Mission, I shared a concept I discovered in Gary Haugen's book "Good News about Injustice." The idea is called "compassion permanence, which Haugen describes as "a courageous and generous capacity to remember the needs of an unjust world even when they are out of our sight."
Haugen adds "Not content with the infant's out-of-sight, out-of-min approach, God calls us to a grown-up capacity to engage a world of oppression with our heart and mind, even though (thankfully) it is not always before our eyes." Haugen describes how difficult this by describing how easy it is to be move from torture on the evening news to touchdowns on Monday Night Football as easy as it is to use a TV remote control. This is so true. This week with all the suffering happening in Asia as a result of the cyclone and earthquake, I was amazed that I could go from being broken-hearted about these tragedies to American Idol or the Lakers in a matter of seconds. Of course, this is natural, and perhaps even healthy. But I wonder if it could or should be different for those who thoughtfully and passionately want to follow Jesus.
Can we hold those suffering close and dear to our heart even though we aren not present in their suffering?
"Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies." - Hebrews 13:3
posted by ERuss at
11:00 PM
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