In the state of Indiana to be qualified to carry a taser you must have a taser used on you. What a fascinating concept! I think there is some wisdom there. I would assume that the rule is in place so that people who are using tasers be less flippant about using them, once they understand how painful they are. If you knew how much a taser hurt you would be much more careful about using one. Wouldn’t it be great if we could apply this logic to some other parts of our life:
- Before toddlers were allowed to talk, they would experience what it is like to be taunted and teased.
- Before children could have friends they would experience dishonesty and what it feels like to be dissapointed or let down.
- Before adults married they would experience betrayal and abandonment.
This obviously wouldn’t work for a number of reasons. As children naturally develop their cognitive abilities, they are unable to even imagine another person’s point of view until they are about 6 years old (Piaget’s Concrete Operational stage). When people suffer trauma they are often ‘delayed’ in achieving certain benchmarks and sometimes grow up without achieving them.
I am convinced that I have met adults that are nearly incapable of seeing something from someone else’s perspective. All they can imagine is their own viewpoint, their own opinion.
In God’s wisdom He knew that we would not be able to imagine Him, or His nature unless we experienced Him in the physical context that we live in. God knew that if He was going to reach us, and re-establish a relationship with us, He would have to meet us where we are. That’s why he sent Jesus.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one [Jesus] who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Jesus didn’t come as a superhero, untouchable, and distant to spend some time on earth, deliver a message and then fly away. He lived as one of us. He got sick. He buried family members. He celebrated birthdays. He suffered slander, and betrayal, and disappointment, just like we do.
Jesus isn’t a God who can’t identify with us. He knows just what we’re going through because he did it too! Despite the messes we get ourselves into Jesus will take our case before the father, and plead on our behalf. He loves us and will put a good word in for us. What an amazing thought that we can have confidence when coming into his presence.
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