One of the things we discussed this morning in psychology class was pattern recognition. We looked out the classroom window when a student, a good 85 yards away, was walking on the other side of the quad. The person was walking away from us so we could not see his face. I asked if anyone of my students recognized him and 75% of my students immediately told me who it was. They explained it was the way the person walked, the way he carried his head and his basic body profile.
It set me to wondering if people ever see Jesus in us because of pattern recognition. Do we deport ourselves with a caring demeanor? Do we walk with dignity? Do we speak supportively toward others? Are we more interested in promoting others instead of me me me? It really can happen. We are not slaves to our environment or heredity. There is no question that those two factors can make it more difficult for some than for others. But the promises are real. “I can do all things through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4. And just how can we do this? Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
A grandmaster chess player can easily memorize the placement of the pieces during a game. It is very difficult for them if the pieces are randomly placed. The patterns are wrong. They don’t fit expectations. It is the pattern of our lives that enable people to trust us and want to be like us because the pattern of Jesus radiates in our speech and behavior.
Written by Roger Bothwell on April7, 2017
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