God’s Perspective

God does not look upon you as you think he does. Even in your anguish and agony he looks upon you with his loving mercy. (OCL, IV, 970, p. 230)

For St. Vincent Pallotti, God’s perspective is different from the outlook of human persons. Often a human person is conditioned by his concrete situation. His own feelings, the reaction of other persons, and the effects of the concrete situation affect a human person considerably. Hence, the way he responds to others depends on the situation in which he finds himself. The manner in which he responds to a hostile situation is different from the way he reacts to a friendly situation. Similarly, his attitudes in coping with a sad circumstance and a happy occasion are different. His reaction to a person who is helpful in his need is different from the one who is indifferent to his plight. Thus, the human perspective is relative and conditioned by circumstances. But, according to St. Vincent Pallotti, God’s perspective is not conditioned by feelings, reactions of others, and the effects of the concrete situations. God is above all conditions that belong to the human realm. Hence, God views a situation very differently from a human person. God’s action towards good and evil is the same, as far as what he wishes to do for them. He makes the sun rise and sends rain on both the good and the evil. In every moment of a person’s life, God reaches out to him in love and mercy. One must attempt to understand God’s perspective. For Vincent, knowing the nature of God’s perspective helps a person to open the totality of his life to God without fear and anxiety. Every human person must learn to acquire the perspective of God so that he is able to deal with his neighbor as God deals with him.

Do I understand that the perspective of God is different from the human perspective? Do I acknowledge that God is unconditioned, while I am conditioned? Does the understanding of God’s perspective open me to surrender my life to God? What attitudinal changes must I effect in order to cultivate the perspective of God?

Your Father who is in heaven … makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. (Mt: 5: 45)