A Spooky Perspective

Lara Patangan ponders how our perspective informs our point of view — and what happens when we shift that perspective.

Every October the word spooky rises like a ghost to the forefront of my vocabulary. It's a month-long torment to my family that brings me uncanny delight. I draw the word out like the two vowels are careening around a hair pin turn until they crash into each other with a high-pitched yelp. It’s about as much fun as my middle-aged self can muster without inducing a medical event.  

In reality, I’m a 'fraidy cat. Roller coasters terrify me. I dread flying. Driving in heavy rain is panic inducing. And, always, I think someone is going to steal me at the gas station. So I don’t favor the word spooky because it’s frightening. To me, the word is fanciful like bats fluttering wild and reckless under the veil of the moon’s glow.  

Perspective changes our point of view

It makes me realize how much perspective can change our point of view. 

No one changed perspectives more than Jesus. It was unprecedented. Although a king, He was born humbly in a stable. He didn’t seek the finest things but the most broken people. He knew not only that sinners could be redeemed but how glorious their redemption would be. Jesus didn’t come to rule; He came to weed. He came to pick through the detritus of jealousy, greed, judgment, and selfishness so that we could fully bloom. His gentleness, His mercy, and His unconditional love for every single person is still radical all these eons since His own death and Resurrection. His teachings and His example remind us to challenge our own perspectives. 

With even a small shift in perspective we can better understand other points of view. We can be more tolerant, patient, and gentle. We can be less skeptical giving ourselves and our neighbor infinite mercies. We can believe in the power we have to affect change in this world through even the smallest acts of kindness. We can look through a different lens and ask ourselves where our perception is clouding our vision. We can either see through eyes of condemnation or compassion, and whatever we choose is exactly what we will find.   

Jesus calls us to change our perspective

Jesus asks us to love our enemy and forgive and do other ridiculously hard things like pick up our own cross and sometimes our neighbors too.  It would be easy to have the perspective that all this suffering and selflessness is a waste of this one precious life which we desperately want to fill with prosperity and happiness, and, while we are dreaming, the occasional good night’s sleep. But if you’ve spent any time chasing those things you know how elusive they can be. Likewise, from Jesus’ perspective, we can see how something as intangible as love has remarkable capacity to stretch, endure, heal, and live on. We can look at the crucifix and see either death or redemption. And this perspective will change everything.  

In reality, I’ve done a lot of brave things. I’ve spoken in front of large crowds and publicly shared my beliefs even when I knew they would be unpopular. I am a parent which is probably one of the bravest things any of us can do. I have made sincere apologies and forgiven deep hurts. I’ve grieved profound loss and I’ve tried again. And again. And again. All of it was scary — and I did it anyway. 

So maybe it’s not so strange then when I prance around the house in my sing-song spooky voice. With just a small shift, just a little more love, our perspective can change even the scariest things into well, whatever we want them to be. 

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Copyright 2024 Lara Patangan
Images: Canva