PRIMAL FOCUS

To see with the soul’s eyes is to know a horizon many never understand. It is to look passed the dazzle and frazzle of lies and sighs and towards the foundations of self. Only God can empower such vision. And it is amazing how often it eludes people, even those who claim to be followers of Christ.

Underneath the seen mantle we create with our hands and lips there is the crust of our heart. That soil of intent, which is where we plant our seeds of deepest desires.

True understanding that only comes with the light from God’s spirit can gaze through the extremities of pretense and discover the core of pulse that drives and motivates. It is a process that only truly works when one is seeking truth and not some other passion.

One can try to find out the facts in some cases just to affirm a prejudice. In biblical studies it is like searching the scriptures to find verses that support what you already believe. That is a quest grounding in selfish motives. It doesn’t seek truth as God would truly reveal it. Yet I’ve see it as the foundation too often with so many who feel the “know” what the bible actually says no matter how flawed their understanding.

It is so much harder to seek truth for the pure and simple sake of knowing. I’ve known so many people who claimed that was their desire, but when you hear them speak it is painfully clear they have other goals. Namely to satisfy whatever bias dominates their life as well as justify some action in their life that leaves them with a sense of guilt.

All of which to me comes down to having simply never pursued seeking the Lord above all else. For when God opens one’s eyes the look can be very painful at first. Gazing into his mirror of discovery and seeing the ugliness in our lives can be impossible for some.

But the real joy comes from the afterglow when God supplants that part of our image by showing us the good that often lies behind that ugliness. It is the beauty we miss out in the process of hiding from the dark and sinful stains in our lives.

This is a process that often requires a look through many layers. It means taking the time to lift one veil of deception at a time until we can finally see what is truly at the core.

God in his mercy will not force us to look too quickly when our eyes get strained from seeing the truth. He can grant us the grace to take time to see only what our heats can embrace in glances.

Some will never want to look that far into the truth. In eternity our perfect sight will never be able to not have that kind of primal focus. In this life is simply grants as that small stride towards a more sincere and honest relationship with our savior.

It is well worth the effort if one surrenders to letting God’s flame of revealing shine into where we dare not look. And there is always later when the temporary sting is replace by a better feeling of peace.