Seeing – A Clear View
Tonight I went to a meeting where hundreds of women in attendance listened to a televised broadcast. Just as we were joined together locally, throughout the world others also gathered in assembly to hear the inspiring messages designed to help women see their divine nature and understand the great need to support each other through service and tolerance. This broadcast was televised throughout 175 countries, nations and territories in 82 languages. It is fascinating to me that with all of the language and cultural differences the message remains the same.
The keynote speaker, Thomas S. Monson, proceeded with his talk by telling a story about a young couple, Lisa and John, who moved into a new neighborhood. He said, “One morning while they were eating breakfast, Lisa looked out the window and watched her next-door neighbor hanging out her wash. ‘That laundry’s not clean,’ Lisa exclaimed. ‘Our neighbor doesn’t know how to get clothes clean.’ John looked on but remained silent. Every time her neighbor would hang out her wash to dry, Lisa would make the same comments. A few weeks later Lisa was surprised to glance out her window and see a nice clean wash hanging in her neighbor’s yard. She said to her husband, ‘Look John, she finally learned how to wash correctly. I wonder how she did it?’ John replied, ‘Well Dear, I have the answer for you. You’ll be interested to know that I got up early this morning and washed our windows.’”
As humorous as this story may appear, it unveils a revealing metaphor of how our vision can be clouded and skewed if we choose to judge others when we are lacking some of the facts. In this case the fault for the imperfection lay with the one casting judgment. How often do we judge others because our view of their world is different, in turn finding ourselves less accepting of what we see to be imperfect?
This week I talked to a friend who is dealing with many difficulties in life, and being desperate for direction she paid a soothsayer, a fortuneteller, for councel. When she shared her experience with me I scoffed at her statement that she “had talked to one of God’s Angels today.” My opinions regarding individuals who use this means for a profession are very to the point. I believe that they are masters in manipulation, having skills to tell people what they want to hear and truly not able to foresee the future, as they would have others believe they are gifted to do. Because I do not see their profession in a reputable light I demeaned her experience. I am not one to see another be taken advantage of and not take a stand, which is how I viewed my reaction to her encounter. Regardless of how I feel about the messenger, I need to be less judgmental and more tactful in my approach.
If a person feels less of themselves around another they will naturally gravitate to others who will make them feel better. The lesson I have learned in this experience is the importance to not necessarily accept another’s point of view but to respect that person regardless of the difference in belief or opinion. If we all changed our beliefs to be accepted by others there would no longer be a need for tolerance. That is not how this world of diversity works, and I know better. What really is important is that others never feel smaller in our presence. By making that concerted effort to let individuals know that they are special and divine in nature, through actions of service and tolerance you will be better able to help them in their trials and strengthen them in their low moments. In this process you will find that by wiping away judgment a clearer view can be seen through compassionate eyes.
In Other’s Words:
“Tolerance implies a respect for another person,
Not because he is wrong or even because he is right,
But because he is human.”
~John Cogley~