Hunger: What are you taking in? - What do you choose to see?

FOCUS SCRIPTURE

1 John 3:1-3

DAILY BYTE

As you meditated yesterday on all that you hear, similar questions can be asked today - what are your eyes taking in when you don’t even notice? What do you choose to absorb through the television and movies that could either bring life and joy or take life and joy? When relaxing a few weeks ago, I rented a movie that was the silly, funny, and popular new release. I happily watched it, laughing my way through and enjoying harmless fun. Only later when watching this movie with a group of young people whom I was trying to teach values of respect, love, and non-violence did I realize how much derogatory language, violence, and lack of respect for peoples’ humanity existed throughout the film. When I watched it with eyes purposefully seeking out good and truth, I was horrified to find little. It seems that when we plop ourselves down in front of the television to “zone out,” we seldom notice what we’re actually watching and absorbing.

So if we want to start being more observant about what we actually see, how might we train our eyes to see more of Jesus in people and more of God in the world, focusing less on advertising and images that bring negativity and disrespect to people and God’s creation? Well, the answer is, again, in our choice. We often choose what we have to look at, and we can choose what we see in what we look at.

Most people have seen the optical illusion picture of the young woman and the old woman below.

Depending on how you choose to look at the drawing, you see one or the other, a young, pretty woman turned away from you or an old, weathered woman’s profile. Whether we see old or young, though, we can choose whether or not we want to see any beauty in the picture. We can choose whether or not we want to see Jesus in the other person’s face. We can choose if we want to look for beauty that God would like to see and show us.

As we think of seeing the beauty in other people, in ourselves, and in situations that may seem completely ugly at first, we hear the scripture for today from 1 John:

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.

Within every single life there lives the love of God who has named us, as his children! And so when we look at the world, God wants us to see everyone and everything that way - as a creation that holds and is cared for by children of God! How different would our interactions be with others, if upon every meeting, our first thought were: this is a child of God. How differently would we see ourselves, if our first thought when we look in the mirror in the morning were: I am a child of God! With such glasses on, would we not want to choose less time looking at images that are pornographic and television and movies that are based on violence and fighting? Would we not want to spend more time looking into each others’ eyes, seeking the beauty in each individual and each intricate part of creation?

Questions for reflection:

1. What crossroads might you find yourself facing, as you decide what is important to look for and see in life? Do you need to stop looking at or watching any particular thing?
2. What do you see around you at the moment that is particularly beautiful? What do you see in your wider life at this time that is beautiful to God and to you? How might you dwell more on these things?
3. In his book, To Bless the Space Between Us, John O’Donohue includes a “Mirror of Questions” for the End of the Day. Ask yourself tonight, “Where did my eyes linger today?” “Where was I blind?” “What differences did I notice in those closest to me?” “Who saw me today?” “From the evidence - why was I given this day?”

PRAYER

Jesus, let my eyes linger on you. When I am unsure how to look at the world, give me eyes like yours. Amen.