Seeing Through God’s Eyes
Sometimes, I hear church members sound a little condescending towards their fellow Australians. Christians can come across as somewhat pious –or even very pious – when passing judgement on those outside of faith. But this is not God’s will. The church exists to fulfil the mission that Jesus has given us: to represent Him on earth and to share the good news of what He has done to bring people a life of hope, centred in His saving love.
The reality is that 84% of Australians do not engage with a church congregation. Only 7% attend a religious service in an average week (NCLS, 2023). That 84% includes people on your street, at your workplace, at your school – even in your own family. Australia is often described as a secular, post-Christian culture. Therefore, we must look for different ways of engaging Australians on their journey of faith. In fact, Australians have been described as having an “allergy to organised religion.”
Perceptions of Christians and Christianity are heavily influenced by the behaviour of Christians in society. Issues such as church abuse and hypocrisy are among the most damaging to the reputation of the faith (McCrindle, 2022). And yet, while there are negative associations with the institutional church, those who know at least 2 Christians often describe them using these three words:
Caring (41%)
Loving (35%)
Kind (35%)
Four in five Australians (79%) know 2 or more Christians. Still, nearly 1.5 million Australian adults – about 8% – do not know any Christians at all (McCrindle, 2022).
When people begin to explore spirituality or religion, one of the most common ways they do so is by observing Christians who live out an authentic faith. This is true for 64% of people who are open to spiritual searching (McCrindle, 2022).
The question we must ask ourselves is: What do people see when they look at our faith? Are we truly caring, loving, and kind? Are we seeing people through God’s eyes?
The words of that well-known verse ring out: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). God sees your neighbour through eyes of love. Now, your neighbours may be delightful – but they might also be the ones who party loudly on a Friday night, or the man who comes home from work and swears at his kids, or the grumpy older woman who constantly complains about your garden. God sees them all through eyes of love. Isn’t that amazing? That’s amazing grace, freely offered to all.
For many Australians, their worldview has been shaped by secular post-Christian thinking. Some have been given a distorted picture of God, others have been hurt by the church, and many simply know very little about it at all (McCrindle, 2025).
One article from Church Next asked a confronting and important question: Does the 84% matter?
The answer is yes, if we believe
We are here to show Australia a beautiful picture of God.
The gospel is true, and Jesus is the way to salvation.
Growing relationships with God and each other matter for eternity.
Life is best lived in a community of faith.
We have a compelling message, the everlasting gospel which points to an eternal community that we want as many Australians as possible to join.
We are to take Jesus’s teachings seriously and “go, make disciples.”
A thriving, disciple-making movement can increasingly become a reality.
The Kingdom of God matters.
Seeing people through God’s eyes is something that personally confronted me many years ago.
Back in the 1980s, I was a secondary school teacher in a small country town in Victoria. My wife Lee, our two kids, and I lived in what we called the "Pub house", so named because it was right next to the town’s only hotel. Living there, we saw and heard a lot. Winters in Victoria can be brutal, often dropping below freezing, and this particular night was especially cold.
I kept waking up to a strange noise at the front door, but each time I rolled over and went back to sleep. It happened again and again throughout the night. Finally, early in the morning, I got up to check, only to find the front door wouldn’t open. Something was blocking it.
Fully awake now, I dressed, went out the back door, and walked around to the front. There on the doormat was a man, curled up in a ball, shivering in a thin coat. I stood over him and gently shook his shoulder. He startled awake. His face was bloodied, his eyes bloodshot. He looked like he’d had a rough night.
I said, “Mate, you can’t sleep here.”
He looked up and mumbled, “You’re a good bloke, mate.” Then wandered off down the street.
I went back to my warm bed and thought about what he had said. “You’re a good bloke, mate.” As I reflected, it was clear to me that I wasn’t. I hadn’t shown compassion. I wasn’t seeing this man through God’s eyes.
I never saw him again, but I often think of him. Jesus is the ultimate Good Bloke, and He calls each of us to see people through His eyes.
Thoughts and quotes from McCrindle and NCLS are borrowed from the Church Next Pre-Reading Missiological Report, based on meetings attended by myself and other leaders in Melbourne, 7–9 May 2025.
