Yesterday I had this strange encounter with a boy who was maybe two or three years older than me. I was sitting next to my father in the car while he was driving, when this boy drove through red almost bumping into us. This was no problem because he reacted on time and nothing happened. Then, as he came standing next to me in front of a traffic light I looked at him. I gave him a little not because I thought I knew him. For him, however, my look was not so friendly, and he started yelling at me and threatening he would ‘get out of his car’. I mean, he was really angry and really yelling crazy things at me. I was just amazed, starring at him asking myself, why are you so mad?
Thinking about this, I remembered so many times how ‘my look’ at someone almost got me into fights. I can think of countless times people threatened me because I looked at them a moment too long. This made me wonder, what is it that makes them so mad? Is all that anger all ready inside of them, because of failing of family, schools, systems and more? Is it because of lack of purpose and meaning in their life? Is it because they feel attacked or venerable when someone looks at them, and they feel this big need to protect their status, their ‘rights’? I think it can probably be either one of them, or maybe a bid of all. Whatever it is, their need to show their strength, protect their venerability, or maybe just their pent anger only takes a small look to come out.
Driving home I just felt sorry for this guy. All that anger must have had some kind of source. Back home I read these verses in Ephesians:
…Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being separated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart. (4:17-18)
These words make me think about the best thing to pray for people. The problem is that they hardened their hearts, creating ignorance, separation from God, darkened understanding and so forth. Now, God is not into the changing of hearts when a person does not allows Him to. So more than asking God to change their hearts, a good prayer would be asking God to change and provide circumstances in such a way that they might soften their hearts, creating space for Him to change and renew it.
And then hopefully, because they soften their hearts, knowledge may come, causing their life to move toward God, that their understanding might be lightened, making their mind fruitful for all good.
Enlightenment
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