I Know You

“I know you.”

“You do?”

That conversation happens often in our lives, and very often without the words being said.

I opened most of my Christmas presents yesterday.  Over the past two weeks friends, relatives and acquaintances had given me the presents, which I tossed under the tree.  Christmas itself was a busy day, what with mass, time with a friend, cooking a huge dinner, and time with the Lord, well, I didn’t feel like opening gifts at 8PM when I got home that evening.  Besides, I had already seen one of the best gifts I received on Christmas Day:  a neighbor had shoveled the 8 inches of snow from my drive and walkways, so I came home late in the evening and did not have to do that chore.

I appreciated all the gifts I opened yesterday, and will send some thank you notes --- except for two.  I don’t know who they were from.  Oh, the labels said:  To Tom, From xxxx, but I didn’t recognize the names.  Either senility has made some advances on me, or they were gifts from people who for reason valued my acquaintance --- lives which I somehow influenced, without taking note of it.  I think we all influence people with our lives, and we are often unaware of it.  God uses us.  And so sometimes those people think, in some way, they know us.  And in some aspect, surely they do.

This morning the manager of the 7-11 said to me: “I saw one of your girlfriends yesterday.”  And before I could respond she continued: “She was about 6 years old and said: ‘I know Tom.’  And so, I told her I know Tom, too.  He’s a nice guy.  And the little girl agreed.”  I’m guessing that was a neighbor’s child who perhaps liked my Christmas gift. 

These people too “know me,” but only in a small way.

For the gifts received and the recognition in the store, I am grateful.  I’m happy I make people happy, and they think well of me.  But we know of others who “know us” also.  These are the people (in truth a lot like us, if we are honest) who are quick to make negative assumptions about the people they meet:

She’s old and fat --- she must have sugar diabetes, or no self-control around food.  He’s physically fit --- he must be an exercise freak.  Those two guys often come in together ---- they must be gay.  He wears a cross --- another religious nut.  She’s chosen to live alone and --- like Oprah asked the Sisters on her show (at least a half dozen times): “You mean you choose to never have sex?” 

We look at someone; we briefly speak to someone, and we think we know what motivates their actions.  We think we know them, at least in this area of their lives.

We have no degrees in psychology, but “we know.”

Usually our perceptions of “normal” drive our assumptions about others.  “It’s not normal” to be too fat, or thin, or gay, or religious, or committed to anything that we are not.  And we judge.  In saying that “we know,” we are judging.  And this reaction, and it is a reaction, is no different than the raising of our middle finger when someone cuts us off --- we instinctively think we’re right.  We instinctively think we know the other person is wrong, and why.  We presume the worst.  We judge.  And our judging gets in the way of two important things:  loving, and the humility that underpins true love --- the love that accepts the people that are not perfect, and wills to love them anyway.

Jesus came to earth among sinners, and sought them out, to be with them.  And if anyone had a right to say “I know you” it was Him --- but He loved us anyway.

He came, God came as a little child, the ultimate in humility.  And He loved everyone.  That’s the real Christmas Story.

We really need to spend more time learning about Him, talking to Him, talking about Him, so that at some point we might say, in humility: I know You.  And I love You.

He’s the most important person we SHOULD know.

I think I know a lot about Jesus.  The Alpha Program my parish is offering is to help people come to know Jesus; it invites Christians and non- to come together and talk about life, about God, and about what’s important in life.  Alpha is about the basics.  I think I know a lot, but I think I will sign up for the upcoming classes.  I may think I know Jesus; I wonder if He would think the same thing.  It never hurts to be open to learn more, and to spend time with our neighbors.