When we told people we were moving to Las Vegas, we routinely received the response, “Well people in Las Vegas really need Jesus.” Many times there was an underlying insinuation that people in Las Vegas were different, were maybe more sinful. We had never thought about people’s biases and how they would affect how they saw each other and our move to “Sin City”.
Within days we experienced that people are people, no matter where they live. We experienced generous people who would give anything to support people. We experienced selfish people who only care about themselves. We have seen people who are hurt and angry. We have witnessed people show up well for others. We have observed people taking advantage of people. We have seen people choose what is best for them no matter what it cost others. And that is the same things we experienced from people wherever we have lived.
When you get to know people, you find that all of us have the same basic needs and issues. We all want to be loved, valued, cared for. We want to be seen and heard. We want to be known and invested in. We want to have purpose and know that our lives matter.
Also when you get to know people, you find that many of us have been hurt, have been disappointed, have been left alone, have felt like they don’t matter, have made a myriad of mistakes, have suffered through the cost of our own and other’s mistakes. People are constantly fighting through the tension of doing what’s best for them and wanting to make a difference.
People are people no matter where you go. We are all on a journey to discover who we are, what our purpose is and how do we live out that purpose. All of us are discovering that even at our best, we still lack something and never seem to reach the place we are striving for. We all need to know God so that we can get reconnected to the One who made us and to become realigned with the purpose that we were made for.
People are people. They will frustrate you. They will encourage you. They will inspire you. They will infuriate you. They will disappoint you. They will lift you exactly when you need it. People are people wherever you are and what matters the most is answering the question – what is your heart towards them? Do you care about people and their condition or are they simply things in your way to do the things you want to do? As we continue to evolve or devolve in our culture, it is important to remember that people are people AND that we all need Jesus to get reconnected to the God who made us and the purpose we were designed for.