Eyes to See the Chaos

I had a "Twlight Zone" experience on the way to the dog park the other day. The dogs in my car were in rare form. All six of them were so cranked up in anticipation of their off-leash adventure that they were howling, barking, whining and yapping at the top of their megaphonic lungs. There was a chaotic, cacophony of canine music, heavy metal style, blasting from my vehicle. We were on the freeway, so I had all the windows shut to keep the dogs from being blown away by the rush of high speed winds, so only I was privy to their "joyful noise." What was happening in my small, contained world was so intense that I thought for sure that those passing by me would notice the menagerie of my sextet...even if only from the visual picture of dogs at full bark. But no, not a single driver or passenger looked my way. No one acknowledged my plight. I was alone with my deafening reality as the rest of the world obliviously cruised right on by.


It got me thinking. How often have I missed the obvious signals of distress in the lives of those passing by me in the dailiness of my life? The audio might be turned off, but there are still signs, clues if you will, that chaos is at large in their life. A furrowed brow, a snappy response, a numbness or preoccupation that I interpret as self-centered aloofness. And sadly, I react to that superficial impression, withdrawing the compassion or support I might have offered, had I read the signs more accurately.


I heard the story of a man who entered a subway train with his five children early one morning. The kids were running amuck throughout the car and he just sat there staring into space, doing nothing to restrain them. Finally one of the passengers addressed his obvious negligence and reprimanded the man for not controlling his children. He robotically replied that they had just come from the hospital where his wife, the children's mother, had just died, and he was still in shock. The kids were confused and dealing with their pain the only way they knew how. He humbly apologized for his neglect and gathered the children to exit at the next stop.


WOW. We have no idea what chaos is roiling within those around us. How easy it is to ignore their distress, or even judge others' peculiar responses to basic social situations. Perhaps we do it to elevate ourselves, or as an attempt to enforce our own social graces on those around us. Life would be so much easier if everyone else saw and did things our way. But they don't. Their reality may be screaming so loudly at them that they can't attend to the same cues that we do.


Let's learn to take an extra moment to find out about their world. Even if we can't hear the dogs barking, we can see some signals that something significant is going on inside their private world. Perhaps, like Jesus, we will see the hidden Zachaeuses peeking out of their sycamore tree protection, secretly hoping that someone will care enough to notice them. Lives are transformed when people are touched by unexpected love. Let's ask for God's eyes and heart so we can see and sense those around us who are hurting and longing for a simple touch of compassion.