Fridays are for ‘Reclaiming Words!’

The intent of this series is to explore words that I think need to be introduced — or re-introduced — to this current generation of college students.

These words have lost their meaning… or have been mis-used or redefined in unhelpful ways… and therefore need to be reclaimed and redefined (again) so that they can be realized by our students!

Today’s word: PERSPECTIVE.

As we near the end of the term, and students begin to feel the weight of impending final papers, projects, exams… and ultimately, final grades, it seems important that we attempt to help them keep it all in perspective.

It’s a word that means, among other things: a way of regarding situations, facts, etc, and judging their relative importance.

If you’ve walked with students for very long at all, then you’ve probably seen this struggle in our students — to keep the events of life in perspective — become an increasingly tall task.

I don’t know why this is, exactly, but it seems to me that many of our students today are less able (or willing?) to believe that whatever present struggle they find themselves in does NOT signify the “end of the world.”

This may sound overly dramatic… but I’m only trying to match the level of “drama” I see surrounding some of the issues related to a test, paper, project, relationship, job, ethical situation, moral dilemma, going home, graduation, growing up, etc. that I see exhibited in many of our students.

Sure, there are definitely some situations that are going to be major… and rightly deserve the all the time, emotional energy, and effort that students give them.

But when every situation is treated as such… life becomes overwhelming… and I see far too many of our students cracking under the pressure — due to a lack of healthy and proper perspective.

And while the word perspective is found in most translations of the Bible exactly “0” times… I think it can be easily argued that much of the Biblical text is about helping the reader to understand life from a completely different perspective. Helping the people of faith to consider the world — and all its “troubles” — from God’s perspective… and less so human’s.

Consider just a few of the following examples:

Moses leading the Israelites through the desert… to freedom — but them complaining about how much better life was in Egypt.

The Israelites living in ways that dishonor God, while believing that they were “untouchable” because of the Davidic covenant — but the Prophets message(s) clearly suggested otherwise.

Jesus encounter with the woman at the well.

Jesus encounter with the woman caught in adultery.

Just about every encounter that Jesus had with the Pharisees and religious leaders of his day.

Paul’s Damascus Road experience.

And I could go on and on. But in each instance, what was needed most (besides repentance and forgiveness, of course) was a change of perspective — a re-orientation to the way people were thinking about (and subsequently, living) life as a child of God.

But I think one of the clearest examples of this call to reality — to this change of perspective — can be found in the Sermon on the Mount.

This was Jesus’ first official address of His “public” ministry, and as we read through Matthew 5, 6 and 7 we hear — time and time again — the phrase:

You’ve heard it said before… But I say to you…

With all of the things that Jesus could have done or said during His “inaugural address,” He chose to “set things right.” To address those areas where the Jews might have been missing the point. To help them understand how their current perspective needed to be tweaked… or in many cases, completely changed.

And I think this is just as much-needed today as it was back in the days of Jesus.

And I believe that this is a part of the work that we have been called to.

Helping students to gain — or maintain — a healthy and holy perspective… Especially this time of year.