I recently struck up a friendship with a man who loves people. By that, I don’t mean he’s particularly social (although he enjoys going out). I mean he delights in people. At first I thought it was a hoax. (You are taking to a woman who once bought a two-seater car for the sole purpose of NOT having to give people rides.) No one is that nice. But this man–he loves people. He is amused when folks overreact. He smiles when someone shows their worst snarky side, and marvels at the humanity of us all. He loves life in ways I never have, but always wanted to.
He is far from perfect, but acknowledges his own foibles and in doing so, allows others to do the same. He sees the imperfect, perfectly. And because he loves people, people adore him. He not only makes them love him, but he makes them loveable–to themselves and those all around.
I was recently asked to be the liturgist at my local church, and was asked to read this piece by St. Theresa of Avila:
“Christ has no body but yours
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”
As I spoke aloud “Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world” my mind immediately turned to my friend who sees the good in everyone, and reflects that good like a thousand mirrors- in endless repetition.
I want to learn to love people that way: to see them with the eyes of Christ. I want to learn to look compassion on the world.
OuttaSiteOuttaMind 