We all know that Spiderman is the hero, but somehow the other characters in his story don’t see him this way! If only they knew what we knew, that he’s only trying to help everyone, maybe they would see things differently. The issue in this story, is perspective.
Have you ever had one of those moments where you have a new perspective on a problem or a situation that changes everything you previously thought? Gaining a fresh perspective, some new information, or seeing something through new eyes – often lead to a change of opinion. I am bringing this up as it is an important aspect of a chaplain’s role. Chaplains sit with people that are experiencing a stressful situation and try to offer new ways to see things. The desired outcome is that the same situation is provided with a different perspective, resulting in less stress. We often need help to ‘see’ things differently. Once we ‘see’ something we find it hard to see it another way. For example, if an ink blot looks like a dog, it’s almost impossible to see anything other than a dog!
This can also happen with our journey into faith and meaning. I have had many interactions with people that see the world in a particular way with no inclination to see it differently. If we try to change the way a person sees, the result often leads to broken relationships and disunity. The point I’d love you to take away from this short article is to spend less time trying to change the view of another person and to spend more time pondering your own perspectives. Asking yourselves, and asking others, if we truly ‘see’ what we are looking at.
Peter Chase
College Chaplain • Pastoral Care
