Monday, November 19, 2007

Lenses


“Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.” 1 Corintians 13:12 – NLT

On my Driver’s License is a notation, “RSTR: CORR LENS.” It means, of course that the lenses built into my eyes are not capable of bringing sufficient clarity and acuity for me to operate a motor vehicle safely, in the opinion of the State of California. Indeed, the State has mandated that I augment my fallible vision with some sort of visual enhancement device… I choose to wear glasses, making a spectacle of myself as it were (sorry, sometimes I just can’t resist! ;-)

I wonder if in our endeavor to “see each other as Jesus sees us,” if our “spiritual operator’s license” ought not to have a similar notation… I question the acuity of the “eyes of my heart,” my ‘spiritual eyes’ in so far as the ability to truly SEE others.

Good lenses, those perfectly made, are without flaw, without contamination or aberration; they bend the light passing through them with precision, ultimately achieving a perfect focus… Sorry… my lenses just don’t seem to be able to do that! I "see through a glass darkly."

The flaws and aberrations in MY lenses seem somehow to obscure that perfect “Jesus-vision” of others that I seek… I mean I go out well intended, on my spirit-led journey, seeking encounters with my fellows that I might bless [recognize the God in] them, but I can’t see it: the crud (hmmmm… plank?) in my own eye distorts what I see. Sometimes, I unwittingly add filters to my already blurred attempt… the “historical” filter (using all the stuff that happened before… good and bad), the “expectation” filter (this is how this person is supposed to be, supposed to behave), the “selfish” filter (this is what I need from this encounter, or this is how I would act in this circumstance… that’s the RIGHT way)… all these filters to color my vision… perhaps because I’m unwilling to accept a clear, clean… perfect image.

This quest of blessing others, of seeing them as Jesus sees them, and then treating them accordingly is not an easy one. My sense is that I don’t need a “spiritual optometrist…” I don’t need correction – I need perfection in my vision. Prayer would seem the optimal solution.

10 comments:

Ryan said...

Thanks for this friend. I am faced with a couple situations in need of confrontation. I hate it. My selfishness wants them to recognize that I am right (which may or may not be the case). My tendency would be to create an encounter that will end in my opinion being followed.

If I am to see them clearly, I am to have compassion on them, recognize I should not only serve my needs, but their needs as well. I need some "glasses." Prayer seems to be the perfect thought.

I recommend checking out www.metamorpha.com, it seems like it will be a god resource for some possible spectacles.

Stephanie said...

You're very punny making a spectacle of yourself.

So often my mouth leads my body. I try to stick to positive words and it leads my thinking and actions.

James 3:2 (New Living Translation)
2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

But of course I make mistakes regularly.

Danilo said...

It may seem ironic but the way to "see" others is to see ourselves as we truly are.

Old_Guy said...

Too true, Danny. But sometimes it seems that's even harder than "seeing" others, because we seem to have EVEN MORE filters, contaminants, and 'aberrations' when we look at ourselves!

Ryan said...

I want to know why Danny doesn't have a blog . . . or does he?

Toph said...

I think you're on to something here. It's easy for me to think that Christianity is another lens through which to view the world and other people, but I need to realize that it's the only true sight.

Old_Guy said...

Ahhhh.... Toph, let's be VERY careful about our terms here. I would certianly agree that the eyes of Christ (or perhaps the "eyes of our heart" - once given to Christ) are the only lenses free of aberration... But I'd carefully caution that any religion (by definition, man's attempt to come to God, rather than the other way around), is inherently flawed... even so called 'Christianity.' We seek perfect vision, and that only comes in pure form from Him.
-OG

Toph said...

Alright, I'll give you that point. But that's not the definition I refer to. I suppose it's just from Kierkegaard, but I've recently been prone to define Christianity as pure vision, though our own relationships with Christ may not reach this perfectly.

Stephanie said...

I also want to know why Danny doesn't have a blog and why you haven't given us your new year wisdom.

Ryan said...

you never write anymore . . .