At a place where I worked years ago, a young man was hired, whose image was intimidating to me. He, besides being tall and robust, had large tattoos very close to his face. It was impossible to look into his eyes without noticing his tattoos. Since I had never been exposed to people with tattoos of that size, his image made a big impression on me.
We worked in different departments, so we did not meet very often.
On one occasion it happened that I needed to do something in his department.
Small talk between him and others inn that department started. What was my surprise, that his personality was very warm. This greatly contrasted with the intimidating image I had when I met him.
As time went by, I realized that this was not only my experience. Several people, who like me had not been exposed to people with tattoos, had had a similar experience.
The random contact at work continued. One time some coworkers and I found ourselves during the same lunch break.
Personally, sharing the meal is very important and significant. Those are moments in which we ideally enjoy what we eat, and we enjoy them even more because of the people we share them with. Well, this lunch break was like that. Although framed in the work schedule, we enjoyed a very spontaneous moment, in which he shared that he was some how used of people being a little afraid of him when they met him for the first time.
Later on, it was only the new hires for whom this tattooed young man’s presence was intimidating. For the rest of us, that image was gradually becoming less relevant. In some of the many other moments in which we met again in the dining room, he shared that he had also had difficult experiences. There were people who ignored him, and more than one left the room he was at. He shared with us that on one occasion, in a store, security guards approached him, asking to check what he was carrying. Apparently, a customer accused him of stealing something.
What would that customer in the store had seen? What would you had seen?
Someone from whom I continue to learn a lot is Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J. Fr. Greg not only sees beyond the intimidating appearances, but he reflects it with his actions.
HomeBoy is a program founded by Fr. Greg, in which he offers job opportunities to men and women who are looking to leave gang membership (with all that it implies), to reintegrate into society. Fr. Greg sees something in these people that not all of us can at first glance, their goodness.
Fr. Greg certainly did not let himself be carried away by the first image of the ex-gang members that he supports.
In your case, what do you see when you meet someone for the first time? What do you see when you have lived with someone who has harmed you?
In one of the miracles that Jesus is most famous for, a blind man named Bartimaeus begged for alms, and asked Jesus to see.
If you were blind, would you ask Jesus to restore your eyesight?
The first impression of my tattooed coworker led me to not being able to see his warmth.
Many people, at first glance, miss the goodness that Fr. Greg sees in people who have been involved in gangs.
We don’t have details of what Bartimaeus’ life was like after being healed by Jesus. What I can imagine is that he must have appreciated and enjoyed everything that he didn’t see before.
Jesus opened Bartimaeus’ eyes, and he saw what he couldn’t before.
My spontaneous conversations with my tattooed coworker opened my eyes to his warmth.
Fr. Greg sees (ex) gang members and (ex) convicts with the goodness that many of us don’t at first glance.
And you, what do you want Jesus to do for you? Do you want to see?
And if we were blind to our mutual goodness, would we still ask Jesus to restore our eyesight?
Once we see the goodness, we can’t unsee it.
At work, once we discover the warmth of our coworker with the big tattoos, no one was intimidated by his presence anymore.
HomeBoy can’t help but see the goodness in (ex) gang members and (ex) convicts.
Our actions will reflect what we see.
That being said, do you still want to see?
God created everything good, and us humans, very good.
Do you want to see the goodness in others?
Perhaps, by seeing the goodness in others, forgiveness will be more accessible.
If the Spirit leads you, ask Jesus the Carpenter to help you notice the goodness in everything you see. And it’s possible that you’ll see how Jesus delights in your goodness.
Marisol
P.S. We can hear about the longing to see in the readings of the XXX Sunday of Ordinary Time, year/cycle B.
