The concert flyer was clear enough. But it was the gap between the ‘V’ and the ‘A’ that did it. My rather obscure sense of humour filled it in. Which came first: their career in music or the supermarket?
Viv Aldi.
Once seen, I couldn’t unsee it.
It reminded me of the stained glass window at the church we have just moved from. Depicting the parable of the Good Samaritan, the windows are the wrong way round, telling the story from right to left. Once seen, it can’t be unseen.
It’s easy to not see unseen things too.
We concentrate on the central figure of the Samaritan coming to the aid of the traveller whose been mugged. We criticise the actions of the Priest and the Levite (a priest’s assistant), each walking by on the other side of the road, ignoring the stricken traveller.
Yes, it’s a parable, a made-up story (probably based on fact, though). But what are the gaps in that story? What else is going on? What is it we do not see?
What if the Priest was on his way to a woman whose child had just died? What if the Levite was late for his duties and knew the trouble he’d face? If they had stopped to help, what then of the widow who needed the attention of the Priest? And what’s causing the Levite to be late?
I expect most of us have been criticised because others have not looked through the gaps to see the unseen elements of our story? And us of theirs.
Changes in a person’s behaviour or mood are usually good indicators of such unseen elements. But there are often other factors at play as well.
From the house nearby I hear the sound of a crying and screaming child. Not constant but enough to be intrusive. Do I go around to criticise and complain? Or do I ask myself, ‘What else is going on? What is it I do not see?’
Our lovely neighbour happens to calls around. ‘I’m really sorry about the noise,’ she says. It was an unnecessary apology because I’d already worked out there was something unseen.
She’s a foster carer to a three year-old who is non-verbal and non-mobile – and to the child’s Mum as well. Both living with her for a few weeks.
Sometimes, it is by looking through the gaps, that we see the unseen.
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