My Hearing Is Just Fine

The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. Deuteronomy 19:18

I’ve noticed something odd recently. Actually, it’s been going on a while, but it’s just been more obvious over the last few days. For some reason, my wife has been speaking in lower and lower tones, often facing away from me, usually when there’s some background noise. This has made it difficult to hear her. What did you say? I’m pretty sure she’s doing it on purpose. You see, she thinks I’m losing my hearing, which is absurd. My hearing is just fine. It’s simply that she – and everyone else in the world – has collectively decided to frustrate me by speaking quietly. I’m beginning to think that it’s all a vast conspiracy designed to convince me that I’m getting old.

It may be obviously irrational when it comes to my hearing loss denial, but I do this kind of thing all the time in my mind. I’m inherently self-centered, which means I’m prone to visualize the world only from my point of view. So, in any conflict, I see only how I’m right and how others must be wrong. Scott is always right. Unwilling to consider the perspective of those around me, I choose to be offended, often assuming malicious intent. You’re speaking quietly on purpose.

There are however, two sides to every story. This is the lesson of today’s passage. In it, God provided instructions to the Israelites on how to handle legal conflicts. When one party brought an accusation against another, the dispute had to be resolved by a judge whose job was to weigh the merits of both parties. If the accuser was found to have brought false charges, then he or she must be sentenced according to the supposed crime.

I’m sure this law was intended to address those who would purposefully manufacture false charges, but it also speaks to our propensity to see only one side of the story. It’s our nature, in any conflict, to believe that we’re always right and that others are always wrong. Though we know there are two sides to every story, we’re prone to see things only from our point of view. This is of course, terribly immature, but still, it’s our nature. Maturity then, involves humbly taking the time and effort to see things from other’s perspective. Maybe I’m not always right . . .

I’m not saying that I’m going in for a hearing evaluation anytime soon, but I am willing to consider that perhaps, just maybe, my hearing may not be what it used to be. Maybe.