Which perspective?

Which Perspective? 2021

I was thinking the other day about people’s responses to visual images or written communications of whatever kind.

In one way I was stating the obvious to myself.

Namely, that there are all kinds of reasons people stay with an image or perhaps read and re-read a written piece of work, or watch a video drama. 

It almost seems superfluous to mention examples.

I was thinking too of how certain pop songs go zooming up the charts and others never make it.

How certain fashions catch-on and others don’t.

The ones that catch-on usually are championed by the younger generation, and their enthusiasm as they reach for their wallets and credit or debit cards, make the producers of the product very rich.

When it comes to how ‘good’ a piece of literature is – there is no doubt that if the majority like it – it is deemed to be ‘good’, a great novel, a brilliant story, a well-crafted piece of work and so on… based on generated sales or box office takings.

Slowly but surely or suddenly, the artist or writer who ends up riding on a wave of popularity are deemed to be [to quote an old Northern Irish saying]: ‘The greatest thing since sliced bread’.

Then popularity can wane, and slowly but surely they are no longer getting the bookings, no longer getting as many reprints, or some new fashion takes over the leading position.

This is all the result of how the majority stay or move-on in their tastes and preferences.

The point is – it is all down to numbers.

Like the piece of graffiti I saw once scrawled on a wall: ‘Majority rules ok’.

So the more consumers there are of the product the more it is deemed to be the best.

‘Best selling author’, ‘Most hits on the internet’, ‘Most grand slams’ all ways of saying that they have the most fans, and are the best.

Now allow a paradigm shift in your thinking.

The kingdom of God and how God thinks and assesses things, as He looks into time, is the antithesis of how man views things.

And for Christians who seek to walk in ‘God’s perspective’, it is difficult to think out-of-the-earthly box and into the heavenly one.

Here is an example of this divine perspective as found in The word of God:

31 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, 32 which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

So we conclude from this that – small and insignificant – is the most precious because contrary to how things look the great residing potential is unstoppable no matter what.

So that which is least, perhaps least in size, least in numbers, least esteemed to be ‘that well-crafted piece of literature’, or piece of art, (example? – Van Gogh), eventually becomes the greatest.

Yes the majority still decides this – but it took a while Vincent, didn’t it?

However looking from – God’s perspective, Paul the Apostle considered himself ‘the least’ of all the apostles. But was aware that only God’s opinion really counted.

He writes:

But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord.

What God thinks – He expresses in His Word. We must seek His ways, and realise that ultimately only His opinion of us, really matters.

It’s often the case that we go against what the majority think, when we cling to God’s perspective.

The widow who gave her all – gave very little in the eyes of the majority – but from God’s perspective she gave the most. (Mk. 12/42)

To maintain our adherence to God’s perspective, can be a hard lesson, to not only learn, but to cling to.

We must therefore remind ourselves on an ongoing basis of the ‘whole counsel of God’. Growing in our knowledge of what that is, so we are enabled to maintain His perspective.

Paul says:

27 For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. 

Constantly reminding ourselves to please the majority of One – The One who is the judge of all the earth.

(Genesis 18/25)