Visibility

Sunday March 22

Readings: 1 Sm 16:1B, 6-7, 10-13A; Eph 5:8-14; Jn 9:1-41

Today’s readings are all about our quality and clarity of vision. 

In the reading from Samuel we see the choice of David as the anointed one.  David is the youngest and least experienced and was not the one everyone expected would be chosen.  This happens over and over in the scriptures.  Who we expect God wants or needs is rarely who is chosen.  We’re told that God doesn’t judge like we do.  God “looks into the heart.”

This always reminds me of the great line from The Little Prince, “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly: what is essential is invisible to the eye…”  I often think about how little we can know about a person just by looking at them.  And yet so many of our judgements and assessments use only that information.

But something different happens when we look at someone (or are looked at) with “the eyes of the heart”? When it happens, it is usually a very powerful experience and one that reveals so much to us about who the other person is (or who we are) beyond what was previously thought.

St. Paul then reminds us that we need to keep exposing everything to the light of the truth so that it becomes visible.  I often think of Sr. Margie saying that, “we are only as sick as our secrets…”  And we know that keeping secrets literally does make us sick!  When we hide parts of ourselves, our bodies and minds suffer.  Once something gets exposed to the light, however, it has a chance of being healed and redeemed.  As long as it remains unacknowledged and obscured, it just can’t be dealt with.

Finally in John’s gospel, the writer plays upon all of these themes with a great deal of irony and sarcasm.  The “blind” man sees clearly and the “enlightened” could not be more mired in darkness (which they deny).  The so-called sinner’s heart is pure and the so-called pure-hearted (Pharisees) could not be more filled with venom.

Today’s readings challenge us at a deep level.  How often do we try to see people with the eye of our heart?  Do we base a lot on externals or appearances (for ourselves and others)?  Do we have many secrets that we keep that need to be brought into the light?  How willing to see what is brought to light (personally and collectively)?

Jesus wants to look at us with the eyes of the heart. He wants to be in deep, transparent relationship with us and he wants us to be that way with him.  This will require us to be open, vulnerable and willing to hear some potentially difficult things (which could be about our weaknesses as well as how deeply we are loved).  And he wants us to do the same with each other. 

For today, spend some time with God and let God see your heart.