We all have boxes that we put people in. We meet someone and within seconds we have made a judgment on who they are and we begin to put them in boxes. Age, race, gender, clothes, haircut, education, language — all of those influence our categorizing people. Most of the time we do these things subconsciously – without even thinking. In a season where I have had the opportunity to meet 100s of new people, I realized how quickly I put people in boxes and how I respond to them is dependent on which box I put them in. Sometimes that has been a good thing, most times it has opened the door to me not really knowing the people around me. And I have also realized that others also have put me in their own boxes. When we live in a culture that puts people in boxes before we get to know them, we can easily miss out on a fuller experience of who God has put in our lives.
One of the most impactful things that I have experienced in the first year in Las Vegas is that curiosity unlocks impact. When we fight to be curious with the people around us, we can unlock and unleash impact. Moving to Las Vegas I work with, hangout with, and connect with people that are far different than who I am and how I grew up. I have enjoyed being around people that think differently, have different political views, were raised from a variety of backgrounds, have a myriad of life experiences. What I have been challenged with is the battle to remain curious in getting to know people, to hear their story, their background, the things that made them into who they are. As I have leaned into being curious about people, how to do ministry, how to interact with situations, my ability to impact people has grown.
In a culture that is becoming less and less curious about others beliefs, views, perspectives, it has been difficult and exciting to fight to remain curious. But when people experience others who are curious about who they are, it produces acceptance and engagement. When people begin to believe that they matter and that others are interested they begin to unlock belief and possibility in their lives. As people experience curiosity towards them, they quickly begin to step into a wider reality of their lives and are more willing to express curiosity towards others. In a culture where the norm is to sound like everyone is an expert, curiosity unlocks connection and opens the space for safe relationships.
I encourage all of us to be more curious with other people, to identify the boxes we put people in, and then take time to get to know them. Invite people to coffee to listen to their story. Get a group of people together to play pickleball and laugh together. Grill some food and invite people over for a game night. When we become a culture of curiosity, we help unlock the potential in people and our culture.