Uncomfortable Encounters

I frequently meet people who make me feel uncomfortable. I’ve tried to analyze what it is about them that makes me uneasy. Sometimes I sense that something is off-balance, corrupt, or inauthentic about these individuals. Other times, I recognize some trait in them that I dislike in myself.

Recently I met someone who seemed driven by the desire for personal happiness and gain. I recognized the same trait in myself, except that I’m apologetic about it and see this as a weakness. I’m also uncomfortable around domineering people, because it reminds me of my own pushiness. Basically, I prefer to hang out with people who are different than I am, because then I don’t have to face my iniquities.

I try to avoid these uncomfortable encounters with my own soul. Unfortunately, I keep running into people like me. I’m forced to confront the corruption within me. It’s an unpleasant task. I feel like I’m extracting a decayed tooth with pliers, from my own mouth. And yet, like a rotten tooth, if I don’t pull it out, the degeneration will just get worse. So...when I have these uncomfortable encounters, I come home and do a self-evaluation. I hold the mirror up and try to yank out the sin.