Finding Christ In Everyone
By Doug Herman
As a young boy my Grandmother’s housekeeper Edith, an expert tea leaf reader, told me that I was destined to live the life of a priest. I believed in God and had a strong faith for such a young child, but I knew that I liked girls far too much to ever reach that lofty goal of priesthood. So instead, I developed a passion for science and became infatuated with Jacques Cousteau and his underwater adventures.
In university I studied to become an Ichthyologist (Fisheries Biologist) and was determined to follow my sea adventure idol. Circumstances prevented this from happening so after university, I joined the pharmaceutical industry. I believed that I was truly helping reduce morbidity and mortality in my role as a medical representative. This opened the door for many opportunities.
After 7 years and multiple jobs, I was offered a job living in Brussels, Belgium, part of the Near East Division with traveling to India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkey. My memories had me believe that I grew up in a poor Hamilton Ghetto family, so I was overwhelmed when this memory was shattered with the reality that followed. My first trip was to Calcutta, India with 13 million known population and another 10 million people not registered. I had never imagined the abject poverty that one would find in a city of 23 million. I became overwhelmed by the heat, sights, aromas and sheer number of poor people and had to focus my gaze ahead like a blinded work horse, lest I caught the sad eyes of yet another beggar.
After my return to my Brussels home, I was distraught and determined never to return. Realistically I had to return and saw similar disturbing sights in all the countries I visited. After about a year and praying extensively over finding peace with my work, I had an epiphany that simply told me to open my eyes and see the divine within everyone. This became my mantra as a constant reminder to look for the Divine in everyone. During my next trip to India, we were stuck in traffic for more than an hour, so I had time to look around and really see where I was. I glanced upon a family of two parents and 6 children, dressed in rags, living, eating, bathing, defecating on a patch of broken pavement, no larger than 6 X 3 feet. The mother was busy cooking chapatis (an unleavened bread) over a cow dung fire, while nursing her youngest, as the older children played with an animal bone as a toy. The father lay sleeping amidst this noisy chaos, probably having worked all night for a few rupees. The more I looked, the more comfortable I became and I was able to let down my guard and open my heart. What I saw next was children and mother with wide smiles on their faces, unaware of what horrid conditions surrounded them. They were at peace, true peace. Most of us search our entire lives to find true peace and here in front of me was the epitome of peace. For the first time I could see Christ in every person I deeply looked at. That day stuck in traffic in Bombay, the Lord open my eyes and my heart to show me the Divine in everyone. Be not afraid to look and see. For without seeing or recognizing the Divine in everyone, we cannot help anyone... not even ourselves. We remain lost to the presence of the Universal Christ.
Many good deeds followed this awakening and one’s time and energy expanded beyond reason to do the Lord’s good work. The biggest lesson learned from this epiphany was to treat everyone with great respect, love and kindness for the Divine is within. I believe that there is a great awakening happening, where Individuals are starting to recognize the Divine in others. I pray that this movement gains momentum, as we see the world through Christ’s lens.
