The almost Benedictine way

I read once, and was impressed by, the Benedictine adage that after any encounter with another human being you should ask yourself, "Did I see Christ in him? Did he see Christ in me?"

So a while back I was dreading a meeting with a client. Could I see Christ in him? In a messed up and unpleasant person in the middle of a litigious and bitter divorce? Wouldn't it be almost blasphemous to see Him in that guise?

But then I came up with an alternative. I imagined that Christ told me, "Jan, I've got this friend who's kind of messed up and unpleasant. Sadly, he's in the middle of a litigious and bitter divorce. I know you're worried about your own issues, but could you help my friend out?" Believe it or not, that changed my heart toward Mr. John "messed up and unpleasant" Doe.

Can I rise above my self-centered concerns to help a friend of Jesus? Yes.

While I could not imagine my Lord as a messed up and unpleasant person, I could easily imagine that He has many friends who are messed up and unpleasant.

Ahem.

*Looks in mirror*