the more I’ve walked through the village the more I’ve realized something about mankind: people want to feel seen and be known.
it’s easy to think, “well of course we want to be seen. what else would we want to be?” but, let me ask you this – how many people do you truly see on a daily basis? not counting the people you just casually walk past on your way to work, or school, or even into the grocery store. how many of you see the single mom at the cashier counter panicking because she doesn’t have enough change to feed her 4 children? how many of you see the stressed out college student at the coffee shop wondering what their future may hold? how many of you see the homeless man with the blue eyes and the same olive green shirt sitting on the corner you pass by nearly every day? how about the elderly woman eating her lunch alone at the local diner?
how many of you see the people you pass by for who they are? and when you do see them, what do you do about it?
seeing is far more than just looking.
I’ve been thinking a lot about how America is this strict, time management type of culture while Uganda is literally the complete opposite. everything here is play-by-play meaning sometimes you set lunch plans for 12:30pm and don’t actually meet up until 2pm. (don’t worry, the Lord is stripping the anal lifestyle of scheduled appointments and go-go-go of me as we speak). as much as it’s been hard to readjust to the different culture I now live in, I’ve come to realize as I said that people want to feel seen and be known and quite frankly, I don’t think I would have realized that if I would have been constantly heading to scheduled appointments with a mindset of getting there and not looking at my surroundings or the people filling it for that matter.
in the village, I walk past hundreds of homes (or huts, if you must) and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t say hi to the person I walk past. a few weeks ago as Lydia and I were walking to Kawanda, a near-by village about 15 minutes away, she asked me a simple question: “how did you learn so many people’s names?” honestly, a lot of people have asked me this and my answer is always simple: I just ask. I explained to Lydia that I think there’s more to life than just sticking to your bubble of friends. when I see a new kid or a church member or even a random villager walking around, I normally greet them and if I don’t know their name – I just ask. Yes, there have been times when I ask the same person 3 or 4 times in a month what their name is but not once do they get frustrated with me. they don’t roll their eyes or yell at me for forgetting. and vice versa. I don’t think I have ever grown angry for a child not knowing my name even though I know theirs. there’s something about feeling seen than makes the nerves and insecurities die down.
Jesus loved people. that’s pretty obvious. but He also saw people, “the least of these,” if we must say. but He also saw “the most of these,” if that’s even a thing. and honestly, He still sees people. He sees the teenage girl questioning whether she’s beautiful enough because the bullies at school say otherwise. He sees the addict desperately desiring to get out of the vicious cycle but having no-one to give him the encouragement to do so. and He sees the lonely grandfather sipping his coffee in the car wondering if he’ll ever feel full again since his wife died.
when we are seen, we have people comforting us. loving us. praying for us. pointing us back to the One who has always seen us. sure, I can type you are seen. you are seen by Our Heavenly Father and He knows you better than you even know yourself, and as much as that is true – we still have a duty. we have a duty to look, love and live as much like Jesus as possible.
Jesus saw people and made people feel known.
maybe I’m being naive or maybe I’m just too kind to everyone or whatever other reason people can come up with on why they shouldn’t go the extra step, but I would beg to differ. imagine if everyone were to think more highly of one another and to be open for random conversation, rather than freaking out when they see a teenager in a hoodie or a person of a different race approaching them – not everybody is evil. not everybody is going to rob you. not everybody is going to hurt you. people are simply just people. we all seek the same desire – to feel seen and be known.
and yes, talking to strangers is scary, maybe even nerve-wrecking for some of you but I think once you get over your pride and stop asking “what if” questions – The Lord can WILL use you in beautiful ways.
so here’s a little challenge for you:
the next time you see someone walking down the street, say hi and wave.
the next time you see someone sitting alone for lunch, ask to sit with them.
the next time you see someone franticly trying to find $1, help them out.
the next time you see someone crying in the bathroom, hug them.
and make it a point that you see them, even if nobody else does.
you see them because Our Father sees you.