“A profound microcosm of life, in 4 minutes…” Today’s video, produced by the group Everyone Matters, invites us to take a look into the world of those around us. Everyone we pass by each day has a story. How often do we stop to listen to what they have to say?

A Deeper Look

Don’t you ever get tired of thinking of yourself all the time? Seriously. Doesn’t it become boring, redundant, stagnant? Do other people really matter to you?  We get so caught up in our lives, our own to-do list, that we miss out on the struggles and joys of all those people around us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl2_knlv_xw

One of the most profound and beautiful ideas of Christian living is the idea of living “for” others. We are called to do so not just as a moral obligation, as something that we “should do”, but also, and more importantly, because the other person has authentic value. The reality of their worthiness, of their dignity, speaks to us. The look in their eyes commands a response! Indifference is not an option. Yet, how many times are we blind or deaf to such values?

Fear of Encounter

Many times I think (and I speak from my own experience) it is because we are afraid. We are afraid of responsibility. We are afraid of what the encounter with the other person might demand of us, what discomfort and pain we might be called to face. And yes, in one sense those fears are legitimate. In opening up our eyes and our lives to the reality of other people, the responsibilities, demands, difficulties, and crosses are sure to follow. But, are they not worth it? Can we honestly look into the eyes of another and say that he or she isn’t worth it? Are we so shallowly blind to what is truly worthy of sacrifice and to where true happiness is to be found?

Being a Christian means essentially changing over from being for oneself to being for one another (Joseph Ratzinger / Benedict XVI).