Dangerous for Good, Part 1: Orientationনমুনা

Spiritual Sight

Jesus’ life, His teachings and ministry often centered on detangling skewed perceptions and perspectives; helping people see more clearly where they are, who they are, and how God’s Kingdom works. Jesus often said to anyone willing to have ears to hear, “Listen up! You’ve got most of your life wrong. Let me tell you about the condition you are really in, the place where you really live, and what God is really like. The Father wants you to know His deep love for you. You can do more than just survive. Let me help you see. Let me help you hear. Let me help you discover life at its fullest.

I was talking recently with a friend who was struggling with difficult life circumstances. He was so close to his own story and its drama that he doesn’t see the situation clearly, but the truth is painfully obvious to his friends who are observing it from the outside. How could he not see what everyone else seems to know? And I have a version of this condition when it comes to my life. We are all driven to frustration when we encounter these kinds of blind spots. When it’s my own life that is the source of frustration and I’m the one not seeing clearly, I’m the one in the dark, and I’m the one causing the problem or the pain, that’s when the feelings of embarrassment, guilt, and shame win the day. In so many of those ah-ha moments, we look back and say, “How could I not have seen that … I wish I had known.” Haven’t we all, with a hint of regret, wished we knew then what we know now?

We’re not alone. Throughout history, people have been shortsighted and prone to missing the point and unable to see what was unfolding around them. This was certainly true in Jesus’ day. He was misunderstood, misplaced, and mishandled by many. His rescue mission took Him into a hostile environment. He knew all along that the stakes were unimaginably high and that the cost to Him would be everything.

Sadly, even those closest to Him did not or could not grasp the magnitude of God’s plan unfolding in front of them. It’s as if they were under a spell. Jesus labored to open their eyes, but it was only in hindsight that His friends saw clearly, and His efforts took root in their souls.

What if we could see the whole world and Larger Story as Jesus described it? What if we could know our place in it, how the world really works, its dimensions, and the reality of its objectives (life vs. death)? What if we could know all this and possess the wisdom and ability to go beyond mere survival and thrive? I don’t believe that in this life our ability to see fully will be accomplished, that all the “blinders” will be removed. We cannot achieve any clarity on our own, but the degree of clarity we can have in this life comes from the Father through training, initiation, and validation that He alone can provide. And I believe this clarity is supposed to be the norm, rather than the rare exception. That is why we need the Holy Spirit (as described in John 14-17) to guide, teach, comfort, and counsel us. There is a way to “see” that only God offers—a vision with origins deeper than a physical 20/20. Because we are spiritual (eternal) beings on a physical journey, we will need spiritual eyes to make the journey well. We must find our true ability to see so we can see with the eyes of the heart. It is through these eyes that we will be able to see more fully all that we are, all that is around us, and more of the One who loves us most and offers us Life.

To be dangerous for good we must see as C.S. Lewis once wrote, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen. Not only because I see it, but also because by it I see everything else.”

As Jesus trained his friends to be dangerous for good, he often accompanied an important teaching about the Kingdom with the statement “For those who have eyes to see let him see, or ears to hear, let him hear." Jesus is inviting them to engage their eyes to see and their ears to hear in a certain way and from a certain orientation so they can come to correct conclusions and significant understandings. Such engagement will change their life forever.

As you ponder all this with God today, consider asking Him:

Father, is there anything in the way of my receiving your love? Of my being loved by you? How do my beliefs about myself or my perspective or beliefs about you help or hinder my ability to receive your love?

Jesus, you were and still are dangerous for good. You are the example and the invitation. Would you show and tell me what I'm not seeing and how to see who you truly are and what you want to redeem and restore within me?

Spirit, where and how do you want to guide, teach, comfort, or counsel me today? What is taking place in my life through which you are inviting me into healing or training (or both) in the ways of the Kingdom?