Monday, June 25, 2012

Judging the Kiwi


Man looks at outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7b

At the first night of VBS this week, the kids learned the above verse that echoes (or perhaps gave birth to) the popular phrase, “don’t judge a book by its cover.”  This is one of those life lessons that we hear so many times through the years that it almost becomes lost in translation.  We know that a person’s true worth is found within, and yet we still have a hard time looking past the exterior.  This is certainly true in our evaluations of others, but it’s also true in terms of how we view ourselves.  If we don’t look a certain way – whether by the shape of our bodies or the clothes we throw on them – then we tend to feel “lesser” than others.  By contrast, when we happen to be sporting the latest style, we feel pretty good about ourselves.  The problem of course is that no amount of style can enhance or mask what lives inside us, where cellulite and fashion have no place.

Supposedly, human beings are hard-wired to be attracted to features in others that would be considered “genetically strong,” such as symmetry.  The theory behind this is that we are drawn to folks that have the best possible chance of promoting the strongest/healthiest human traits going forward.  I don’t know about that, but what I do know is that God created us to love others as a direct reflection of His love.  The last time I checked, such love has zero physical stipulations attached to it; rather, it requires a heart for service and a soul filled with the loving power of the Holy Spirit.  Whether the scientists are accurate or not doesn’t really matter in terms of the fate of humanity.  Instead of searching for the physical traits that promote strong genetics, we should instead seek out, lift up and “procreate” the predisposition for love that we all possess.

Each of us has a story to tell that would perfectly illustrate the importance of looking at the heart.  Each of us has encountered someone with less-than-desirable physical traits who is a genuinely loving, compassionate person.  More commonly than that, perhaps, are stories we could tell of attractive, well-groomed folks whose words and deeds reflected a rotting interior.  The trick is in being able to evaluate others the way God does, which we could perhaps best do blindfolded.

Whenever I think of this particular lesson, I think of the kiwi, that delightfully delicious tropical fruit with the vibrant green interior.  In terms of its flavor, it is one of my most favorite fruits.  But let’s be honest – it is as ugly a thing to behold as you can find.  If we judged the kiwi strictly by its outward appearance, no one would ever touch it.  Actually, I’m amazed that at some point in human history, some curious and perhaps famished soul decided to throw caution to the wind, crack one open and give it a taste.  Whoever this person was, he or she was operating entirely on the faith that something better was within. 

Maybe we’ll never be able to completely shirk off the tendency to be attracted to outward beauty, but let’s not forget that when we bypass someone who doesn’t fit our criteria for beauty, we might just be missing out on a kiwi.