In their shoes

Dear Christian,

I want to challenge you. 

I’m probably going to really make you uncomfortable as you read this article.

I’m not trying to make you mad, but you might even find yourself angry at me the further you read.

So here it is. I want you to try and imagine being in “their” shoes.

Right now in the middle of division…and anger…and hurt…and confusion…and unrest…and public shaming…

And the list goes on and on. 

In fact trying to describe the climate and culture we live in in the 21st century, post-modern, pluralistic, sin-ridden and fallen world is rather difficult.

But here is what I want you to do.

Put yourself in “their” shoes. 

You know:

• The person you don’t like
• The person who votes different than you
• The person who has a different color of skin than you
• The person you have judged and looked down on

It is really easy to play arm-chair quarterback and tell the QB in the game everything they did wrong. It is cheap, lazy, selfish and sinful to condemn, shame, judge and write off the people “on the other side”.

• What would it be like if you were the dog-walker in central park?
• What would it be like if you were the bird-watcher in central park?

• What would it be like if you were George Floyd?
• What would it be like if you were Derek Chauvin?

• Put yourself in a republican’s shoes…
• Put yourself in a democrat’s shoes…

• Put yourself in the rioters shoes…
• Put yourself in the police chief’s/mayor’s shoes…

Reader’s warning, this next part will most likely make many of you mad at me:

• Put yourself in the shoes of “black lives matter” people
• Put yourself in the shoes of “all lives matter” people

Now listen very carefully here. Don’t give lip service only to this exercise. Don’t write the other person off as only being “wrong” or “stupid”.

Don’t just condemn or shame them for doing something you wouldn’t do.

Don’t try to get off easy by saying that you would never be in their position.

Instead put yourself in their shoes. Even if you think they were/are wrong, put yourself in their shoes and try and imagine what they might be thinking or feeling. Put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself whether or not you would hope other people would give you grace and other people would be civil to you and whether you would want people who disagreed with you to seek some kind of common ground. Put yourself in their shoes and try and consider if you can learn something from their differing perspective.

Christians are to be people of grace.

I know you also want to talk about being people of truth. We are that as well and we’ll get to that, but let’s just stop for a minute and think about grace.

We are to offer grace. We are to offer what is not deserved and has not been earned. We are to offer help and compassion to people because of the unconditional love of God and not because of anything they have or haven’t done. We are to offer love and help and compassion regardless of who they are, what they believe or what they have done or said.

We are to forgive as God has forgiven us. We are to be merciful as God is merciful. We are to accept others as Christ has accepted us.

And yes Christians also are people of truth. But let’s stop brandishing “truth” as a weapon to tear down and destroy. “Truth” is supposed to set people free.

So here is the truth:

• Racism is sin
• Shame/guilting/condemning/judging people is sin
• Pridefully exalting self is sin
• Ignoring injustice is sin
• Labelling the other person as “evil” just because they are different or we disagree with them is sin
• Don’t pretend sin doesn’t exist, don’t excuse sin

But also recognize this truth: God’s grace is sufficient to reconcile and heal and restore

And God desires us to be conduits of His grace (everywhere, especially online!)

Here is grace:

• Put yourself in their shoes:
  • George Floyd was hurting (and died): how would you have felt? What would you have wanted to have happened if it was your life?
  • Derek Chauvin messed up. He was wrong. Put yourself now in his shoes. How would you feel now? What would you be thinking about what your life looks like now?
• Put yourself in their shoes:
  • Maybe that politician on the other side is trying to do something that they think might actually help their fellow man…
  • Maybe that person on Facebook is trying to make sense of things that scare them…
  • Maybe that person you don’t like is lonely, hurting, trapped, lost…

I’m sure at some point in this article I’ve made you mad. At some point you have thought I am being too hard on someone or too soft on someone. 

It is not our job to judge. It is not our job to see revenge. It is not our job to shame people into submission or acquiescence. 

As Christians it is our job to point people to Jesus, the way, truth and life and live (and speak!) grace. 

Get in their shoes for a while and then pray desperately for them. And admit when you were wrong. Seek grace. And offer grace.

I am so thankful that Jesus died for a sinner like me. I have no hope except Jesus’ blood and His grace.