Optics…it has to do with how we are seen…how we are perceived. Last Monday, I introduced you to optics, and today, I’d like to go a little deeper today by sharing two stories—first an amusing story about American President Woodrow Wilson, and then my personal story about dodgeball—and the optics around both.
Some Optics Can’t Be Changed
In 1912, the presidential race featured a three-candidate contest that captivated the world’s attention. Woodrow Wilson defeated both Republican incumbent Howard Taft and former President Teddy Roosevelt, who broke from the Republicans and formed a third party. Wilson became the first Democrat president in 20 years and the first Southerner to hold the office since the Civil War.
As Wilson tied up loose ends before his inauguration, he visited an aging aunt. In the course of their conversation, Aunt Janie said, “Well, what are you doing now?” He answered, “I’ve been elected president, Aunt Janie.” She replied, “President of what?”
I love that story. Has something like that ever happened to you? The person Aunt Janie thinks you are will stick with her for life. Often, it’s those who are the closest to us—aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, cousins, or even parents—who have the hardest time believing we can be anything other than how they see us—baby of the family, little brother, punk kid, spoiled brat,
runt of the litter.
The people who know us best have a hard time believing there’s anything special about us because they think they already know everything about us. They know where we’ve been and what we’ve done. They know our mistakes and our immaturity. It’s the old “prophet is never welcomed in his hometown” proverb Jesus talked about in Luke 4:24.
Dodgeball – A Game of Optics
So, you might be thinking…what does optics have to do with dodgeball? Well, dodgeball is ALL about optics. And I learned this at a very young age.
In case you have never had the joy, or heartache, of playing dodgeball, let me break it down for you. Two teams line up opposite each other, each with a number of rubber balls (like a basketball, soccer ball, or volleyball). The goal is to hit the members of the other team with the balls. If you are hit, you are out. The first team to get out every member of the other team wins.
But the game’s torment doesn’t start with a ball in the face. It begins way before you set foot on the court. Before a single ball is thrown, you go through a ritual more intense than anything the Navy Seals ever devised. I’m talking about “picking teams.” This sadomasochistic ritual is intended to break down your soul. It’s that torturous, humiliating period that seems to stretch for days, when everything goes into slow motion as you twist inside, break into a sweat, get nauseous, and try to concentrate on dragonflies or drag races or something nice you heard someone say about you one time.
I was first introduced to the game when I was about six years old. This was around the same time that my head started growing . . . without my body. By the time I turned seven, my head was huge, and I was christened with the highly creative nickname of “Big Head Little Body.” What’s this got to do with dodgeball? Well, if you, or any part of you, were a big target, you didn’t get picked. My head was freakishly big, like E.T. big. So, I was usually picked after the slowest or least popular kid in the class. When it came to my giant dome, the optics were grim.
Only later would I learn that dodgeball was great preparation for today’s reality. That is, how the crowd perceives you matters more than who you really are.
Unfortunately, optics will always be with us. And so will the naysayers and the people who underestimate us. (Super uplifting thought, right?) Optics is present in relationships, at school, in our workplaces. Social media just hypes it up even more. Today’s message is clear: how you look and how you are perceived actually determine who you are.
There is good news, though. God sees the real you. He created you, loves you with an everlasting love, and He wants to walk with you, past the optics and to the real, authentic you He created you to be. God will never leave you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6b), and that means even in getting past the optics.
If you want to learn more about living a more authentic life, I encourage you to grab a copy of my upcoming book, Overliked: Finding Direction, Courage, and Meaningful Relationships in a Society Crippled by Social Media, where you’ll find ways to get beyond the optics to the freedom that authenticity brings. (And if you pre-order, I’ll send you some pretty cool free bonus gifts.) Check it out!
Until next Monday, when I’ll continue sharing more about our optics-driven world, focus on Jesus!
~Pastor Rob
Aka P-Ro