At that time Jesus said in reply, “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. (Matthew 11:25-26)
As human beings, we like to think of ourselves as being smart, knowing all the angles so as to keep from being fooled by others. We like to think that our base of knowledge is complete, that we have all the answers to every situation we encounter and every problem that comes our way. We like to think of ourselves as completely self-reliant. And, so believing our own myth of being all wise and all knowing, the sin of pride oozes and drips from our own egos. We suffer so from our own blindness.
This past week the G-20 is meeting in Hamburg, Germany. One of the most highly anticipated events of the G-20 thus far is the meeting between Putin and trump. Putin schemes, plots, and sows discord to consolidate more power for Russia and for himself, as dictator of Russia. And there is, trump, a prisoner of his own narcissism, controlled by his oversize ego, instant gratification in all areas of his life, and an inability to think about anyone but himself. Both of these men believe themselves to be the better and the smarter of the two (Admittedly, Putin has the better brain, the political savvy, and the ability to manipulate and play with trump, as a cat does with a mouse it is about to kill.). They like to think of themselves as all knowing, filled with wisdom, and have hired people to tell them that they are. In spite of the vast wealth and the political power both wield, they equally fail to grasp that which is most important in the world. They are so afflicted with blindness.
In his second letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul writes, “We look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal.”
St. Paul in this simple statement sums up the blindness that afflicts most of humanity. Our own physical senses create an illusion that reality is only that which we can see, hear, touch, smell and taste. Our philosophy of life, the way we order our world, the way we judge happiness is all based only on physical stimuli. St. Paul tells us that all which are senses consider to be real is not real, but is merely temporary and will fade away like mist. Our perceived reality is based on nothing but empty air.
St. Paul’s statement is not just an isolated sentiment in the Christian Testament. Throughout the gospels, Jesus repeatedly tells us that are lives must not be built on the unreliable sources of this earth, but on that of God. For instance, Jesus explains that no one builds their homes on a foundation of sand. Only those homes built on solid rock, that is the word of God, will survive the storms of life. (Matthew 7: 24-29)
In the first letter of Peter, it is written,” Now if you invoke as Father him who judges impartially according to each one’s works, conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning, realizing that you were ransomed from your futile conduct, handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless unblemished lamb.”
St. James writes, “Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries. Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire.”
It is easy for us to make out Putin and trump as quintessential examples of lives built on narcissism and blindness and yet, live in ignorance of our own blindness and our own stupidity. It is not easy to confront our own blindness, and acknowledge our own enslavement to the transitory unreality in which we live. St. Paul observes that it is only in being close to death that we finally see that which is really real. Can we not begin earlier in life to see that which lays just beyond the barrier of our physical senses? Jesus tells us yes, that this is within our capabilities in this life.
We must begin to see the world around us with the eyes of a child. Our eyesight must not be limited to just the physical things that we see, but we must look beyond the physical object to the wonder that lays beyond that object. It is similar to looking at a religious icon. A religious icon is a flat, two-dimensional picture, generally not all that captivating to the eye. Its two-dimensional unattractive state is painted so as to draw our mind’s eye to the multi-dimensional reality of God that lies beyond it.
How do we develop that kind of eyesight to see the multi-dimensions that exist beyond our physical world? Jesus tell us that we must begin to see the world through the lens of a child, the lens of humility. The new born child is well aware that life is dependent on others. The child suckles on the breast of his/her mother to draw not only nourishment from breast milk, but also to draw in the love of his/her mother. The child innately realizes that the ability to live is not based on his/her self-reliance but in relying on the love of his/her mother and father for food, clothing, and protection. The child discovers the world and how to navigate through the world by looking through the eyes of his/her mother and father.
Jesus tells us that true sight, true wisdom and true knowledge is gained by humbling acknowledging that our lives are totally dependent on our God who is Mother and Father to us. We draw upon the breast of God for spiritual nourishment. We draw upon the mind of God for knowledge. We draw upon the love of God for life. It is in doing this that we begin to see with eyes that which is truly real. It is doing this that the barrier of our physical senses create fades away like a mist to reveal that which is truly real and lasts for eternity.
All that which Putin and trump believe important, is, in the end, very transitory and unimportant. Upon that which they base their reality and happiness is nothing more than just empty air. It is important that world nations address the immense evils that pollution, poverty, hunger, and the inequitable distribution of wealth cause the people of our world. It is important that the world nations use the tools which God has entrusted to humanity to address these evils. But, as Jesus points us, we must humbly acknowledge that the only correct way to use the tools given to us is by allowing God to work these tools through us.
St. Peter concludes his second letter with these words. “According to his promise we await new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you await these things, be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace. And consider the patience of our Lord as salvation, as our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, also wrote to you, speaking of these things as he does in all his letters. In them there are some things hard to understand that the ignorant and unstable distort to their own destruction, just as they do the other scriptures. Therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned, be on your guard not to be led into the error of the unprincipled and to fall from your own stability. But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory now and to the day of eternity.” (2 Peter 3:13-18)
