perspective

Did you ever see one of those holographic pictures that changes according to the angle you look at it? Stand here, and it’s a sleeping lion; stand over there and the lion is awake and roaring.

Life can be like that. Viewed through the lens of our humanity and earthbound experience, it can look bleak and hopeless. Given God’s perspective, though, and you see a fantastic world.

Mary had that. Look at this vignette from the resurrection story, as given to us in John 20:14-17: 

“At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

“He asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?’

“Thinking he was the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.’

“Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’

“She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means “Teacher”).

“Jesus said, ‘Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”’”

All of Mary’s human experience told her that Jesus was dead and gone. With that perspective, the empty tomb was just one more cruel trick played by the Jewish leaders. One more thing to make a bad morning even worse. Through her dim vision, even Jesus just looked like a gardener.

Then, her perspective shifted. Jesus spoke. Jesus proved he was alive, and told her his plans. And suddenly, defeat and despair and hopelessness were gone. That gloomy garden must have seemed like the most beautiful place on earth.

Do I see it? When I look around, I often see us losing. I see morality decaying, civility pretty much gone, kindness only situational and tarnished by selfish motives. I see predators and abusers of all kinds, and countless victims broken in their path. I see Christianity labeled as superstition, and Christians responding by compromising their values. Satan seems to be on the march, effortlessly rolling over goodness. This doesn’t look like victory to me.

But then Jesus puts his hand on my shoulder and turns my head. Then I see the cross towering over it all, casting an unmistakable shadow across the world. I see faithful Christians moving about the battlefield, tending to the wounded and fighting to maintain safe places for the refugees. I see the desperation in the enemy as he realizes that this is his last, best effort and it’s not going to be enough. And I realize that Jesus has him whipped, and is waiting just long enough for the last of his people to be gathered in. Jesus is a no-person-left-behind kind of leader, and his people are spending themselves completely on that mission. I’m on the winning side, and I get to help save the remainder.

It’s a compelling, inspiring vision of the world, and I can see it as long as I stay by Jesus.