My daughter was having a great laugh today when she proclaimed, “Beef jerky is just a cow raisin.” I laughed and smiled at her joke, but my mind went off into another place: What a unique perspective? To see something for what it is recognized for (beef jerky) and then to see it through a new frame work (cow raisin) is an ability we humans have, illuminating our conscious power to attach subjective meaning to an objective truth. It is dried meat that comes from an animal we call a cow. But how does one advertise that!

We do this all of the time, attach meaning to facts or objective truths based on our way of looking at the world. The hiccup comes when we try to sell those attached meanings as a truth in and of themselves. “Did you see that person, they are________!” The objective truth is that there was a person to see. The subjective means was the judgement placed upon the person by the observer.”

As humans we do this quit naturally, and then we quietly gather around or collect others who see it the way we see it, demanding that our “lens” for viewing the event is the only way to engage. But when we do this, are we making room for community to work together? Are we uniting or dividing? Are we deceiving ourselves for our own ego trip?

I often think this is one of the greatest lessons Jesus Christ tried to teach us and we miss the boat completely. We get to wrapped up in our subjective assessment for Christ’ behavior and miss it for what it was, a transformative way of helping people heal by shifting their subjective view of an objective reality. The parable of the Good Samaritan is just this. Helping people understand that their opinions and views of the world might simply be the very thing that keeps them from tending to the objective truth right in front of them.

Let us pray. Gracious God, give to us open eyes that see past our subjective, experiential, often judgmental view of looking at the world, to see the object truth in front of us. With new clarity of vision, set in us a pattern to tend to those in need by meeting them where they are, not where we expect them to be. Please Lord, help us do this even with our own selves. We are often our own worst critic. Help us to be present to the objective truth of our own situations, so that healthy positive support can be. And when we struggle to do this, help us understand that while the world may call it “beef jerky” and others may see it as a “cow raisins” it is still a cow that gave itself life to sustain our life, and for that we should be thankful. Jesus name we pray. Amen.

An expert in the law stood up to test Jesus.[a] “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” 27 He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”

29 But wanting to vindicate himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and took off, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan while traveling came upon him, and when he saw him he was moved with compassion. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, treating them with oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him, and when I come back I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Luke 10:25-37