One of my favorite books, movies, and plays is To Kill A Mockingbird. I’ve read the book several times, seen the movie countless times, and have had the honor of playing Jean Louise, not once but twice.
If you’ve not read it, do yourself a favor and read it. If you’re not a big reader, then at least watch the 2 hrs and 10 mins 1962 movie starring Gregory Peck, and featuring a very young Robert Duvall. (Yes, it’s in black and white but, don’t write it off for that reason. A lesson my youngest just learned.)
It struck me that To Kill a Mockingbird has shaped the way I respond to people. Not all the time (I mean, I’m only human) but most times for sure. In chapter three, Atticus teaches his young daughter, Scout, an important lesson on perspective by telling her,
You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view. Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.
Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird perspective governs Scout’s development. Like Scout, I’ve struggled, with varying degrees of success, to put this into practice with every interaction I have. Some days I’m more successful than others. Perhaps, my success (or lack thereof) with perspective, seeing things from another’s point of view, can be found in another To Kill a Mockingbird quote found in chapter 17,
People generally see what they look for and hear what they listen for.
No one but you can determine your perspective. It is your choice, and you’re the only one in control of it. Are there things that shape your world view? Or course! I’m a Christian and as such my beliefs tend to lean a certain way. For example, I choose to see the advice Atticus gives on perspective as an example of what Jesus did. He literally climbed into our skin and walked around in it. He totally understands everything we could ever go through because He went through it too. As a Jesus follower I’m called to be more Christlike. Jesus was fully God, but chose a different perspective for a while. That’s what I aspire too: The ability to choose a different perspective for a while.
I read the book and saw the movie long before I was a Christian. (Hence my reason for crediting To Kill a Mockingbird in shaping me.) The first time I played Jean Louise I was, for all intents and purposes, a “baby Christian” and didn’t see any Christian themes. I had always thought of Atticus’s advice as a way of saying, “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.” Back then, I didn’t know it was biblical, but as it turns out Matthew 7:12 is just that!
Treat others as you want them to treat you…
You see, as with all things, as you grown & learn your perspective changes. To quote an earlier blog post “As you grow and change, so will your (perspective).” (To read entire post: Did you know that…Boundaries are good?! ) As a kid it’s quite common to think you’re better, or that what you have is better. “My dad is stronger than your dad.” That changes somewhere along the line. Y’all…we’re all in the same boat! We’re all doing this thing called life. We’ve all got baggage to carry and some of it isn’t even ours to carry. Romans 3:23 says:
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
So how about we cut each other a little slack? We’re all doing the best we can.
That’s my story. What’s yours? Will you try to understand people, and consider things from their point of view? Will you treat others as you want them to treat you?
Own Your Story 