All of us have our own unique way of seeing what is before our eyes. I call this looking at life through different shades of lenses. The shade of our lenses determines what image is viewed.

There are many factors that determine the shade of our lenses. Each factor causes an effect on the shade. Our own knowledge and experience is one factor. It comes from where we live now and where we have lived in the past. It comes from our travels in far and distant lands, as well as from our travels close to home.

The words we use to describe what we see are subject to our own knowledge and experience and can give the wrong impression to those from a different knowledge and experience background.

When I read an article titled: “Minister wears multiple hats” in the Sun Journal Sept. 15 and found these words written, “classical New England white Protestant church,” I could draw two different conclusions from the word “white.” One conclusion is that the word “white” meant the color of the building. The other is that the word “white” meant that only those of white skin color attend. If the word “building” had been added after the word “church,” there would have been no clarification needed. That lets everyone know that the word “white” refers to the color of the building and not to the color of skin of those attending the church.

Frank Haines, Rumford

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