We interrupt this program on WACK-FM to bring you an urgent message from our sponsor, Matthew Golson:
You know what, America? I woke up this morning and couldn’t help but think, “I am soooooooo important.” Like seriously, you don’t get just how phenomenal I am. You know, I feel fortunate, being born this awesome and all, but I feel sorry for you because you are soooooooo insignificant. I mean, I’m soooooooo much better than you. What makes me more colossal than you? Just look around! This is my world, and you’re just living in it. I’m the world’s greatest! How did I get here? The answer is very clear; my better is better than your better, plain and simple. I know how discouraging and demeaning that sounds (actually I don’t; I’m on a much higher level and incapable of empathizing), but don’t fret; you aren’t the only one living in my shadow, which could very well blot out the sun if I wanted it to. But you know what? I’m feeling compassionate. Perhaps I’ll share some of my perfection with you one day. But enough about you. In order to celebrate my significance (and I can’t believe I’m saying this), we need to lower it down a notch. Take the time today to bow your head, close your eyes, and attempt to fathom my perfection by having a moment of silence for those who are not me. Thank you. And thank me.
I know most people do not sound like that, and if I do, I give you permission to slap me twice. However, while people may not actually say those things, their actions scream them. Quite often, my perspective is so narrow that my perception of myself is drastically different from that of reality. Pride alters my perspective and perception so that I become too important to cook dinner or take out the trash. My time becomes too precious to “waste” on helping a friend, my parents, or complete strangers. Pride creates a sense of entitlement that says, “I deserve more attention than he does,” or when I receive a compliment on a job well done, my reaction is “Well it’s about time somebody noticed.”
Perspective and perception are the topics of this post, and while they may be similar, let’s define them so we may understand their differences in application.
- Perspective (n): the appearance of objects, buildings, etc., relative to each other as determined by their distance from the viewer, or the effects of this distance on their appearance.
- Perception (n): the process by which an organism detects and interprets information from the external world by means of sensory receptors.
In other words, perspective is the viewpoint from which we gather information, whereas perception is how we interpret that information. Now, watch this video and see if your perspective and perception change a little. (It’s best if you can view it in full screen).
Pretty amazing, huh? Let’s widen our perspective a little more. The images captured allow us to see 13 billion light-years away. A light-year is how far light travels in one year. Light travels at 300,000,000 meters per second. There are 31,536,000 seconds in one year. So, light travels 9,460,800,000,000,000 meters in one year. Now, multiply that number by 13 billion. (You can use a calculator. I won’t hold it against you if you can’t do the math in your head). So, there are 122,990,400,000,000,000,000,000,000 meters and counting between us and the object farthest away on the images taken less than a decade ago. Wow. Now, consider the possibility that if man were ever to travel to the end of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, he could find another 13 billion light-years of universe. Don’t forget, the telescope was pointed at a section of space as small as a grain of sand held out at arm’s length. Oh, and one more thing: the light captured by the telescope started traveling this way billions of years ago. Who knows if those galaxies still exist today?
Feeling small? I am. After seeing the pictures taken by the Hubble telescope, my perspective widened just a little, and my perception of myself was altered greatly. I am starting to understand how ridiculously miniscule I am and just how infinite God is. It seems ironic and also tragic that I live my life as if I am the biggest, most important being in the entire universe, when I am actually nothing but dust. My life is only a breath. I don’t know why, but I get the funny feeling that this isn’t about me.
“He said to me I was a tree in a story about a forest and that it was arrogant of me to believe any differently. And he told me the story of the forest is better than the story of the tree.” – Donald Miller
God, thank You for allowing me the privilege of being a tree in a story about Your forest. Many times I forget that the story is not about me. Please forgive me for my serious lapses in judgment. Thank You for placing much larger trees in Your forest to remind me of Your might. Grant me Your perspective and Your perception. Provide me wisdom, so that pride may be filtered out of my thoughts, speech, and actions. Give me faith and strength to humbly pursue righteousness. May the splendorous works of Your hands lead me to fear and worship You for eternity. Amen.
“He must become greater; I must become less.” John 3:30
“He has caused his wonders to be remembered. The LORD is gracious and compassionate.” Psalm 111:4
“Can you direct the movement of the stars—binding the cluster of the Pleiades or loosening the cords of Orion? Can you direct the sequence of the seasons or guide the Bear with her cubs across the heavens? Do you know the laws of the universe? Can you use them to regulate the earth?” Job 38:31-33
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