As I inch closer and closer to leaving Seattle, I find myself reflecting on my new "lens" ("lens" can/may mean worldview, perspective, metanarrative, hermeneutic, etc).

Seattle, Mars Hill Graduate School, and many new friendships have shaped my life in profound ways. In fact, I believe that I now have a more beautiful way of seeing things/people/scripture than I did prior to coming here.

As many others have experienced when they leave Mars Hill, I get frustrated at how difficult it can be to invite people to this new way of seeing. However today I was reminded,

"Don’t get pissed off because people who aren’t you happen to think Paris Hilton is interesting and deserves to be on TV every other day...Don't get pissed off because the Yeah Yeah Yeahs [insert Death Cab or whatever other trendy band you are currently enthralled with] aren't on the radio enough...Don’t get pissed off because people didn’t vote [Listen up Hillar-ites!] the way you voted. You knew this was a democracy when you agreed to participate...Basically, don’t get pissed off over the fact that the way you feel about culture isn’t some kind of universal consensus." - Klosterman

If I may translate...and I may...continue to pray and work towards truer ways of seeing. All while doing the difficult work of listening to those around me and valuing their "lens". This means being confident in the ways I see, but asking others to tell me what they see. It means curiosity and humility. Questions and persistence. It means work.

Oh, and don't get pissed off when people have bad websites, eat trans-fats, listen to KISSFM, or read People magazine. Grumpy pants. Thats who they are. Love them. Stop trying to change them.