Sherry Sterling

Dear friends,

The past couple of weeks’ world and national events, and the official government response about them, have left my heart heavy and my head spinning. I’ve heard at least two storylines about what’s happened in Venezuela, the anniversary of January 6th, and Minneapolis—what we saw and what we were told we saw.   

You know the saying, “Seeing is believing?” Seeing, with our eyes and especially our heart, is how we know. But how are we known?

Have you ever been so clearly heard or seen, that you became more of yourself in that moment? I call those moments “seeing someone into being.” 

Jesus saw people into being, and into discipleship.

In today’s gospel reading (John 1:43-51), Jesus is calling his disciples, seeing them with the heart. He sees Nathanael’s character before they’ve even met. Nathanael asks, “How do you know me?” Jesus answers that he saw Nathanael before his brother invited him to come, revealing that he knew Nathanael before he saw him with his eyes. 

Jesus sees us spiritually. We’re still learning to see each other in the flesh.

We can see each other into being when we pause long enough to stop thinking about our response, listen behind another’s words, to sense the Being of someone and reflect that back to them. We can do that for the world when we look for the essence of an event and wait for clarity of a response.

The challenge is slowing down to listen when we see things so differently. 

And for some, the challenge is speaking up to those with whom we disagree.

I recently read a book for Saint Philip’s Sowing Circle group: See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love, by Valerie Kaur. In it, she writes:

“Love is labor that begins in wonder. So, I wonder about them. Beneath the slogans and sound bites, I begin to hear their pain and understand the wounds behind their words. I see their humanity—I see no stranger. When listening gets hard, I focus on taking the next breath. Listening does not grant the other side legitimacy. It grants them humanity—and preserves my own.” p 313

Listening and speaking to those who see things differently can feel threatening. I pray to continue to listen, and for the courage to add my voice to the conversation. To participate in seeing and being seen into being. Into our shared humanity.

Peace and love,

—Sherry