“Oh
What a Tangled Web We Weave…”
By Susan Klein
Each of you should
look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Philippians
2:4 (NIV)
Many
of us, at one time or another, have heard the line from the poem, Marimon, which reads: “Oh what a tangled
web we weave when first we practice to deceive.”[1] Recently, this line has
been floating around in my thoughts, but with a slight twist to the ending; “Oh
what a tangled web we weave, when we trust in that which we perceive.”
Perceive.
It’s a sticky word. It means to look upon something in a particular way, to
judge, deem, or regard, based mainly on our senses. Not often based on fact,
perceptions are usually based solely on what we see, how we feel, or what we (think
we) understand about something. Therein lies the problem. Without facts, our
perceptions can spin quite the tangled web!
See
if this scenario strikes a familiar note. Claire walks down the hall at church
and sees Meg approaching from the opposite direction. Claire says, “Hello Meg,”
but Meg just keeps walking past her. Claire feels somewhat hurt and confused by
this encounter. Her senses lead her
to perceive that Meg is either mad at her, or has just behaved rather rudely.
The web starts to spin. Claire shares her hurt feelings with Lee and they both
try to surmise why Meg would behave so peculiarly. Lee chooses to maintain a
comfortable distance from Meg. The web grows, drawing in Lee. Meg, who has just
been through a deep personal crisis, is walking around in a blind fog,
wondering how she is going to survive the day.
Relying
on what we perceive to be true can create a sticky mess of a conflict. When we
don’t have all the facts, our minds can easily conjure up some. We start to
spin our own take on the situation based on our senses. It can become a huge sticky
web, ensnaring others along the way.
Suppose
Claire had stopped, reached out to Meg and asked, “Are you okay?” There would
be no web. There might even be some comfort for Meg and the deepening of a
friendship between the two women.
We
all have “mis-perceptions.” In our haste, it’s easy to avoid taking that extra
step to verify the facts. But, what if we could eliminate some of those misperceptions?
Could it positively affect our relationships, benefit our mental health, and
ultimately glorify our Savior?
GOING
DEEPER:
1.
Take that extra time to inquire of others when uncertain. Don’t rely on (mis) perceptions.
FURTHER
READING:
[1]
Marimon; A Tale of Flodden Field, Sir Walter Scott, 1513
Susan is married to
Mark, and has two adult children. She enjoys teaching Bible studies, writing,
and tutoring with the Literacy Council. She is a member of the Peace Team at
Oakwood.
