View of the World or Worldview?

This past year or so I have spent a great deal of time traveling: four cross-country road trips and numerous flights to several destinations.  Traveling generally seems to bring out the worst in people. We all have bad days when we’re tired, hungry or not feeling well and say or do something we later regret.   When I see a three-year-old child throwing a temper tantrum at midnight in the airport my assumption is the child is tired- not necessarily spoiled. In contrast, adults are supposedly more mature and better able to control their emotions so when I see a grown man throwing a temper tantrum multiple times, my assumption is he is self-centered.

Last week I was at BWI waiting to board my Southwest flight to Phoenix. Southwest Airlines doesn’t make seat assignments but has you line up, in order, according to the number on your boarding pass. That number is determined by when you check in and get your boarding pass (up to 24 hours prior to flight time).  This seems like a pretty fair system to me- and I have been in the first 30 passengers to board when I remembered to do it 24 hours in advance as well as the last ten when I forgot to do it until I got to the airport. This particular day my number was B43, which meant I was in the fourth group of 30 to board. As I was waiting for the “A” groups to board, I heard a man raise his voice at the gate agent and say, “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard!” as he walked away. At first I thought the gate agent told him his carry-on was too big and needed to be checked.  Several more passengers boarded and I noticed the man back in line with his carry-on. When he got to the gate agent and handed him his boarding pass, the gate agent handed it back and told him his group wasn’t boarding yet, he needed to wait for the “C” group. Again the man raised his voice saying, “I need to board now so I can get an aisle seat.” With a more stern voice, the gate agent informed him he needed to wait his turn. The man stomped off and then threw his carry-on bag on the floor. A few of the passengers looked at each other with raised eyebrows but said nothing. Now the “B” group was boarding and I got in line. Yet again the man tried to board and once again the gate agent told him he needed to wait his turn and mentioned something about security. The man huffed off making comments about “incompetent employees” and “stupid rules.”  Now people were shaking their heads with looks of disbelief on their faces.

So what made this man act this way- like he was mad at the world? Is he just someone who has a ”glass is half empty” view of the world? Or is it deeper than that?

This incident reminded me of a book I’m reading- “How Now Shall We Live” by Charles Colson. He defines “worldview” as “the sum total of our beliefs about the world, the ‘big picture’ that directs our daily decisions and actions.” I believe that the man at the airport is probably a “relativist”- one who believes there is no right or wrong, just what you believe to be truth- someone who subscribes to a naturalistic worldview. He believed he was entitled to special treatment just because he desired it- that was his truth.  However, just because he believed it to be truth did not make it truth- just as sincerely believing 2+2=5 does not make it so.  Colson maintains “if you live according to a certain worldview but keep bumping up against reality in painful ways, you can be sure something is wrong with the worldview. It fails to reflect reality accurately.”  This seems logical to me- and makes me wonder why someone would keep on doing what clearly results in their being unhappy and angry a great deal of the time.  The man at the airport still looked irritated and "mad at the world" 5 hours later when I saw him at baggage claim in Phoenix.

I have no answer for why he chooses to believe what he does. But I do know that a Christian worldview says that we must love that man. Jesus said, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:15) Hmmm… so while everyone was milling around the baggage carousel, talking to each other while we waited for our luggage- but steering clear of the “angry man”- some one should have talked to him, smiled at him. “Someone” could have/should have been me. Ouch!

Fortunately, I know that I will be given more opportunities to practice showing love to someone who is difficult to love. God is gracious that way- He gives us another chance when we mess up. And it is only by serving one another in love that we can reach out and influence those with a different worldview.