Do You See What I See?

On Saturday, I was invited to go to a "BBQ" again with some OMers that are either based in Zurich or live there. We totaled about eight people. It was a great time of fellowship and laughter. We all shared something from our hearts or an observation that we had made. My observation had been from my project. As I walked the streets of Hirzenbach, I saw many people with many different backgrounds. However, they all had at least one thing in common: they all wanted to be seen. I saw people of different ethnicities, genders, religious backgrounds, and cultures when I walked the streets. I saw them as people and not as the other things listed. I saw them as them. That is what everyone in this world wants is to be seen. If you have been following this blog since the beginning, then you know that my calling is to go towards the outcasts of society. Who are the outcasts? It totally depends on where you are in the world. It can be the people who are homeless, the veterans of the nation, the mentally disabled, LGBT+ people, Muslims, refugees, etc. All these people want is to be seen. Notice, there is no race in this list. I do not care what color your skin is for you are a person, and I see you. This is what Jesus did. He saw people for people and not as their job, race, etc. He also told of the judgments to come and how people needed to turn from their sins, but his first step was to see people as people. If we see people as a "disease" or as I have so eloquently have read, "a Plague", then we are no better than others who have used these types of words to kill off millions. Once we begin to demonize people and try to say that they are not people, that is when we lose the chance to spread the Gospel. We are called to love people as people, we are called to preach Gospel, but where is the line between loving and accepting? I say look to Jesus for he is the ultimate answer. Look at how he helped people, look at how he interacted with people, and look at how he carried himself in all circumstances!

I was able to put this lesson into practice on Saturday afternoon as I went into the city for a movie and then the Zuri fest. I went into the new Spider-Man movie and I saw a lot of different people, but I also saw a lot of people that just wanted to see a movie. Afterward, I went more into the city and saw well over 20,000 people on the streets who were all different. We were all having a blast listening to the music being played, watching the air show done by planes and helicopters, some were ziplining, others eating and drinking; we were all there to have a good time.

What would have happened if I had just started to make people feel like they were different? Now, yes, some people have demonstrations that set them apart from all the rest, but this is not what I am talking about. If I had just started to make a sign saying that everyone needed to turn to Christ or burn in Hell for eternity that instant, then I would not have been very successful. In fact, I would have probably set back the missionaries here a few months because I have not started a distaste for Christianity in the mouths of the people of Zurich and all of the tourists that were there as well.

So, do you see what I see? This question is not meant to be boastful by any means, but do you see the people as people? Once we can do that, we can start relationships and start talking about Jesus and his deep love for all of us.

Below are a few pictures from the festival.