“Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!” Thanks Megan Filston Johnson for a profound sermon on Sunday. I will be savoring nuggets (and teaching from them) for weeks to come. My favorite part: When our eyes are sick, we look at something like Ebola and focus more on the few cases in America that threaten our security, rather than the millions of cases in West Africa that threaten a society. Powerful!
It’s sad how feeling like a victim (full of fear and powerlessness) clouds our perceptions. We make it all about us. Instead of reaching out with generous hands to those who are really suffering, we push away in fear. We have been given not a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-discipline, yet we make our souls sick worrying about what will happen if we dare to be vulnerable.
The squinty-eyed people I know spread fear, hopelessness, and division faster than Ebola. Daily news feeds, email blasts, and hateful words are aimed at those whose views are different from one’s own. We are all so wrapped up in own hurt and fear that we don’t see the hurt we inflict on others. And we have a vaccination for it, but we choose not to use it. It’s called the greatest commandment. “Love your neighbor as yourself.” This translates into every part of our existence: from global health, to family life, to politics. Truly, our eyes are windows into our bodies. I hate dank cellars, so I’m choosing to live in the light. As I attempt to keep my squinty-eyed greed and distrust in check, perhaps I can be more of a light bearer. I have a home remedy—hanging around children. If I want eyes wide in wonder and belief, that’s where I’ll start. How about you?
Julie Rogers-Martin 