There are two sides to every story. There are also two sides to every person; the good side and the not so good side. Unfortunately, often the not so good side tends to dominate. We have a tendency only to see the bad and the good becomes blurred, indeed neglected.
In the Gospel we meet a little man called Zacchaeus who was a victim of the tendency in human nature to see the bad (see Luke 19:1-10). His fellow Jews saw him as a tax collector and therefore as a traitor and a thief. For them he was a bad person, someone to be shunned, isolated and rejected. We can have no doubt that Zacchaeus was hurting inside.
When Jesus met Zacchaeus he too saw a tax collector. But he also saw something more, something better, something good. He saw the capacity for generosity and care in Zacchaeus’ heart. Instead of rejecting Zacchaeus, Jesus accepted him. He chose to dine in Zacchaeus’ house. Jesus’ attitude to Zacchaeus changed his life. He became a different person. His potential for good was awakened and he put his wealth at the service of the poor.
So what about us? When we look at other people what do we see? Do we see the good or the bad, the positive or the negative? If we see the good in others we open up a world of opportunity for them, we bring out the best in them. If we see the bad in others, we limit them, we imprison them, we confine them to a black hole.
And when we look at ourselves what do we see? When I look at myself do I see the good or the bad, the strengths or the weaknesses, the successes or the failures? Is my picture of myself a positive one or a negative one? It is a fact that many people carry within themselves a poor self-image and low self-esteem. There are obviously reasons why some people do not feel loved and lovable. But the objective truth is that everyone is made in the image of God, everyone is loved unconditionally by God and everyone is offered the same friendship of Jesus that Zacchaeus was offered. Each one of us is a good but weak human being. While we have a tendency to focus on the negative, Jesus always focuses on the positive.
The challenge for each of us is not to allow the imperfections, the flaws, the weaknesses to dominate the way we see ourselves, others and indeed the world around us. Human nature may be full of imperfection and failure, but it is essentially good and, in the end, the good will prove victorious.