Second Look

 

As I constantly walk through a neighborhood of thick, lush green lawns, this house always stands out. On the strip of lawn that stands between the street and the sidewalk, the owners chose a different direction. They removed the grass and created the opposite effect. Small gravel, various sized rock; it gives a desert feel as you pass. At first I found it startling. Then it grew on me. To my eyes, it now has its own kind of beauty.

I remember the first time I traveled out west to the high desert of northern Arizona. I was on a mission trip with a group of youth from my church. My first impression of the stark landscape was not positive. I had listened to others speak of the beauty of the place as we prepared for the trip. To say the least, I was confused. All I saw was, well, nothing. Lots and lots of nothing.

But an interesting thing happened. As I spent time there each summer, it began to look different to me. I began to see the beauty of the sunrises and the wonder of the bright moon at night. The vast expanses began to seem, not empty, but majestic and inspiring. The random flower. The wildlife. The changing colors of the rocks as the sun ran its course across the sky each day; what was once unappealing in my sight was transformed into beauty.

Jesus had the ability to look at people that way. Where others saw only their illness or their struggles or their sin, Jesus saw the beauty of each life. He seemed to be able to see each soul’s worth. He seemed to grasp who they really were, or who they had the ability to become. I suppose one way of putting it would be that Jesus never let the first impression be the last impression. He looked for more. “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” Jesus knew there was always more to us than just our first impression.

What a difference it could make in our life, and in the lives of those around us, if we began to look at each other through such eyes. What gifts might we discover in each other? What transformations might come? I don’t know the answer, but it might be interesting to find out. Why not give each other a second look today? Who knows what beauty we may find?

Peace.