{"id":1759,"date":"2022-06-29T10:02:11","date_gmt":"2022-06-29T14:02:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/js1cd06kre.onrocket.site\/?p=1759"},"modified":"2022-06-29T10:02:56","modified_gmt":"2022-06-29T14:02:56","slug":"the-power-of-the-personal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/2022\/06\/29\/the-power-of-the-personal\/","title":{"rendered":"The Power of the Personal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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It matters when we see someone\u2019s face.   
 
A few years ago, Jonathan Turner, an Israeli physician, conducted a fascinating experiment. 
 
With their consent, he took photos of 300 men and women who were coming in for CT scans.  He attached the photos to their images that were then submitted to radiologists.  The radiologists \u2013 who knew nothing of Turner\u2019s plan \u2013 reported that they felt an increased sense of empathy toward these patients, and a desire to be especially meticulous.   
 
Author Daniel Pink points out that radiologists often sit alone.  Their work of reading X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs is incredibly important.  But it can also feel impersonal. 
 
Pink writes, \u201cOne of the measures of an outstanding radiologist is the ability to discover \u2018incidental findings,\u2019 physical concerns\u2026that are incidental to the issue really under consideration.\u201d
 
The radiologists who examined the images of Turner\u2019s 300 selected patients \u2013 the ones whose pictures accompanied their scans \u2013 reported a remarkable number of incidental findings.
 
Three months later Turner selected 81 of the scans in which an incidental health issue had been reported.  He resubmitted them to the same group of radiologists \u2013 who didn\u2019t know they were repeats \u2013 but this time without the pictures.
 
The outcome was startling.  The second time, 80% of the incidental findings went unreported. 
 
Turner was quick to point out that nothing is going to replace sound scientific and technological processes.  But \u201cthe power of the personal\u201d cannot be ignored.  His patients are human beings, not just physiological case studies.
 
It matters when we see someone\u2019s face<\/em>. 
 
In Old Testament times, what did it mean to receive God\u2019s blessing?  Aaron the high priest extended his hands over the people of Israel and said, \u201cThe Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace\u201d (Numbers 6:24-26). 
 
The ultimate privilege of being one of God’s people was knowing that God was turning his face in my direction \u2013 that the king of the cosmos would want to know me personally, and consequently let me know something of him.   
 
In the New Testament, the apostle Paul provides a foretaste of life in the next world.  \u201cFor now [in this present life] we see in a mirror dimly,\u201d he writes in I Corinthians 13:12.  Glass mirrors had not yet been invented.  The only way to catch a blurry glimpse of one\u2019s own reflection was to gaze into still water or onto a highly polished metallic surface.  \u201cBut then [that is, in the next world] face to face.\u201d  On the other side of death, in other words, we shall at last see and be seen as we really are<\/em> \u2013 and that will somehow include the face of God.  
 
Paul concludes, \u201cNow I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.\u201d  Questions will be answered.  Secrets will be laid bare.  We will know and be known as never before.
 
But what about today?  What can we do right now to experience more of \u201cthe power of the personal\u201d?
 
The next time you\u2019re in a crowd or in traffic or sitting in a crowded arena, remember that you are surrounded by real persons \u2013 individuals who have friends, families, fears, joys, and concerns.
 
Consider pausing and offering a prayer for the people behind those faces that you see for just a moment.
 
Such prayer doesn\u2019t have to be profound or original.  Just sincere. 
 
And there\u2019s something we can always pray for someone, even if we know next to nothing about what they are facing today:  Lord, bless this person with your peace.<\/em>
 
The Holy Spirit will fill in the rest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It matters when we see someone\u2019s face.    A few years ago, Jonathan Turner, an Israeli physician, conducted a fascinating experiment.  With their consent, he took photos of 300 men and women who were coming in for CT scans.  He attached the photos to their images that were then submitted to radiologists.  The radiologists \u2013 who knew nothing of Turner\u2019s plan \u2013… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1760,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[281,459,179],"class_list":["post-1759","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-blessing","tag-gods-face","tag-prayer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1759","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1759"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1759\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1762,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1759\/revisions\/1762"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1760"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1759"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1759"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1759"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}