In the Eyes of the Beholder

By Grant Gaines

What color is this dress? White and gold or blue and black?

You may not have known this, but this dress that is shown above is the root of A LOT of controversy over the past year. Friend turned against friend, families were torn right down the middle, and all social media platforms were in a frenzy over what color this dress is.

To some people this dress looks white and gold, to others it looks blue and black. Don’t believe me? Just ask 5 people around you what color they think the dress is and you’ll see what I mean.

Everybody is 100% certain that they see the correct color dress. There is no way anyone could see it any differently than what you see it, right?

Well actually, not only is it very possible to look at the same situation and emerge with two completely different perspectives, it’s actually quite common. The dress we just showed above is a great example of this. Despite the fact that we all are looking at the same dress, because the picture was taken in poor lighting, scientist have discovered that the attitude you have when you look at this picture determines which colors your brain perceives. If you are worn out, stressed, or in a grumpy mood when you look at this picture you are more likely to see a blue and black dress. On the flip side, if you are in a cheerful, stress-free, and joyful state of mind when you look at this picture you are more likely to see a white and gold dress. Pretty cool, huh?

But this phenomenon of looking at the same situation with other people and emerging with two completely different perspectives isn’t restricted to only fashion. We actually deal with it on a ‘day in and day out’ basis. Two people can see the same movie and one might say it’s a top ten movie of all time while the other didn’t think it would be worth watching it again for free when it comes out on TV. A group of friends can share a pizza and half of the group can think it’s the greatest thing they’ve ever tasted while the other half can be totally underwhelmed. For a biblical example of this occurrence, look no further than the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10.

In this story, a man gets beat up and left for dead on the side of a road that led to Jerusalem. Luke 10:31-35 (NIV) picks up on the rest of the story by saying, “A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'”

The three men looked at the exact same thing-a man who had been severely beat up and left for dead on the side of the road-and yet all three men perceived the situation in completely different ways. The priest and the Levite saw an interruption to their regularly scheduled day. The Samaritan saw an invitation to minister.

That’s the two choices we have every day as we go about our days and we come upon something that was unexpected. Either we can perceive that thing as an interruption or as an invitation. Either you will see a person or you will see a problem. Either you will see an appointment or an annoyance.

I don’t know about you, but when I come across a situation like this I pray that I will respond in a way that is, “…worthy of the Gospel” (Philippians 1:27, NIV) by doing what Jesus would do. When passing a blind man in John 9, the disciples saw a problem to discuss while Jesus saw a person to help. When surrounded by 5,000 hungry people in Mark 6, the disciples saw a crowd to dismiss while Jesus saw an opportunity to dine with 5,000 of His closest friends. When people kept bringing their kids to Jesus for Him to bless them in Mark 10, the disciples saw long lines while Jesus saw lost sheep.

We all look at the same things every day-traffic jams, long lines, slow internets, crying kids, grumpy bosses, unpleasant jobs, dirty bedrooms, and so on. But you know what? Those are the same kind of things Jesus looked at as well-dead friends, vicious naysayers, intolerant priests, incompetent followers, and insurmountable odds. But rather than complaining about His circumstances and viewing all of these situations as interruptions, Christ took life by the horns and welcomed these situations as opportunities to minister.

How will you view your day? Is life made up of interruptions or invitations? What color is your dress?