sorrow of being (mis)understood
the foundations are shaking!
In the Peace Prayer of St. Francis, there is the expressed wish, “O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek…to be understood as to understand.” The entire prayer dives deep into spiritual depths. However, I think that particular petition has been the most daunting for me.
They were before my time, but I think can resonate with the Animals when they sang, “I’m just a soul whose intentions are good, oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood.”
I have noticed that we can agree with someone and be disagreeable, and we can disagree with someone and be agreeable! Between the two, which is being understood and being misunderstood? Which is better? What would St. Francis say?
There’s nothing like a global pandemic to get you asking such questions.
It’s a bit disillusioning to see “allies” behaving like “enemies,” and “enemies” behaving like “allies.” And I mean that in the neutral (perhaps positive) sense: dis-illusion. The foundations are shaking; the fault lines are rearranging. Loyalties are shifting!!
In 1 Corinthians 11, the apostle Paul is addressing abuses and divisions at the Lord’s Supper when he says, “Indeed, there have to be factions among you, for only so will it become clear who among you are genuine” (v. 19). Still, can’t that be true in other contexts? I don’t know about you, but I’m glad we form up into camps. We need to see who is true and who is bogus. Need I say which camp I occupy?
We’re being told to get angry at those others, and let me tell ya buddy, I’m steamed! I’m not sure why I should be so ticked off, but I don’t care. My patience is wearing thin.
If there were only a way to wade through the confusion. If only there were someone who truly understood and knew us. Perhaps there is.
Said the Lord to Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jer 1:5). And in 1 Corinthians 13 we hear: “Now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known” (v. 12). God has known us from the beginning and has known us without measure. It’s written in both Hebrew and Greek!
If we can share just a tiny bit of that perspective when looking at each other, we can see how petty our dividing up into hostile camps can be. The hostility need not be overt. It so often is understated: the smugness, the silent judging, the false assumptions, the mind reading, the stirring of up fear.
Still, we are called to something more beautiful and glorious. We are called to someone most beautiful and glorious.
Maybe the Animals and St. Francis can collaborate: “I’m just a soul whose intentions are good, oh Lord, with you I’ll never be misunderstood.”
