“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:
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 and also co-leads an on-site small group.
(1) Marimon; A Tale of
Flodden Field, Sir Walter Scott, 1513
