No matter what I say or do

Yesterday my mood took a major nosedive. I heard yet again a well rehearsed story from a colleague that I am harsh, inflexible, and without compassion for my students. It stung, and try as I might to rationalize it by thinking about the source and motivation behind this type of propaganda, it still hurt very deeply.
As I pondered the situation last night, it was easy to see how the storyteller's values and mode of being in the world influenced her comments and choice to mobilize people to side with her. After all, she and those who believe this are those with very poor boundaries and sense of personal entitlement. It makes sense to me that someone who threatens those qualities will be suspect. Meanwhile, I have been reduced to that one line: harsh, inflexible and not compassionate--"behavior not consistent with the values of this department."
Some time ago I explained the values, standards, and ethics to which I adhere, and gave numerous examples of students who feel that I have bent over backward to accommodate their needs and give them second chances. After doing these things, I anticipated that there would be renewed understanding and respect for the way in which I interact with my students and colleagues. "I'm so glad you shared this with me!" she had enthused. So I was taken off guard to hear the same old story told without incorporating any of the information I had shared, and in an even more vitriolic manner than when I first heard it.

This is not intended to be the moan of a martyr. It is my reflection of what it is like to be misrepresented without the possibility of changing that perception.

It was comforting in a sad kind of way to realize that I'm in good company in this. People have all sorts of bizarre ideas about who God is and what He is like. I wonder what it is like for God to see how misrepresented He is--that no matter what He says or does for people, no matter how He tries to show His character and love for people--He is still viewed as harsh and vindictive. He is blamed for all sorts of human idiocy. Or He is sometimes portrayed as impotent or insipid in some way.
I suppose that being misrepresented isn't really so bad. I can ignore it and there will be a minor incident. But if God is misrepresented, there are eternal consequences.
Somewhere in the midst of my internal wound-licking and fussing last night, I realized a bit more of what God's dilemma is in this world. I could say with Job, "I put my hand over my mouth." I had nothing more to say about how horrible my experience is.
Although these things loom large on the horizon of our worldview, one day these petty grievances will not be worth remembering. They will be swallowed up in the business of living in God's presence--something worth thinking about today.