Perspective
My Dear People,
"TERRY GROSS: Had your parents, in their novels, written characters that you knew were based on you that you found troubling?
"RAPHAEL YGLESIAS: Actually, even when someone writes you in a novel flatteringly, the truth is it's always troubling because it's odd to be a minor character in someone else's life since we're always the major character in our own lives."
-- From a Fresh Air interview with the author
"...always the major character in our own lives..."
Well, that's just a fact. There's nothing to be ashamed of in that; we can't help it: we are always at the center of action in our own lives.
Of course, that view on the world, our own personal view, is, by definition, a narrow range of perspective. Try as we might, even with all the cultivation, education, and travel that we might log, finally, our perspective is limited.
+
This morning, I stood atop North Mountain as the sun rose, yellow-orange spilling through the morning sky. I could see for miles, Shrinemont and the plains, valleys, and mountains beyond. And yet, I couldn't see far enough.
+
I hunger, we hunger, for a wider perspective.
Indeed, the perspective for which we hunger is, ultimately, nothing less than the divine perspective.
In worship, and in prayer, and in life, we seek and receive many things--strength, hope, joy. And we seek and receive perspective as well: A panoramic view to which, if left to our own devices, we cannot attain. A perspective that, finally, we receive only in and by God.
With prayers for, and thanksgiving for, the view;
your brother in Christ,
Wallace+
