The Problem with People

I like people… at a distance and up close. From a distance I could watch people all day (and as creepy as it sounds, I do). One of my favorite things to do is to sit in a busy public place and “people watch”. I try to imagine their life. Where are they going? What burden are they carrying today that they wish they could unload? And the closer I get to a person (usually) the more I like them. Seeing people at an intimate level reminds me of the beauty that God has put in each one of His creations.

If you don’t know me very well you need to know that I am a reader. The above picture is a collage of some of the people that I have come to know – at least through their printed words. I’m fairly certain I have read more than one book by each of these guys. So why the cynical title? Because I also have a problem with people. My problem was reiterated to me again this week as I studied a book in Scripture known as Isaiah. At the end of chapter 2 Isaiah warns… Stop putting your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. How can they be of help to anyone?

Wow! That’s pretty harsh isn’t it? Well looking beneath the surface, I think he’s dead on. I don’t think the warning here is about liking or not liking people. He is challenging the degree of the dependence we give to them. I have friends (many of them) who almost literally sit at their computer screen waiting for the next book by their favorite author. The danger I see in that kind of thinking is that it reveals a too-deep level of trust that should be reserved for Jesus. People are people – even the good ones. My pastor used to say, “Don’t put your trust in people… they’ll fail you every time.” So what is the problem with people? They’re people… mere humans… frail. Put your trust in God!