Seeing is believing? Says who?

2 Corinthians 5:7-“We live by faith, not by sight.”

The Book of Eli, a relatively new film gives modern experience to these words of Paul. In the film, a blind man Eli who reads in brail, and has possession of the last known Bible in the world, a Brail bible, goes on a treacherous and eventually life ending journey to secure the bibles safety and its getting translated back from brail, to written form.

The clear impact of the words of scripture, upon the man Eli, is profoundly evident, acting as his guide and very sense of life and identity. The reality that they are more than just words, but the source of, and the power of, that which these words come from, and connect one to, is palpable throughout the film.

To read in brail requires time, and an infinitely slower pace and focus to the digestion of the words. It also involves tactile senses that simply reading with your eyes does not. It would be hard to multitask while reading in brail. It is a reading that involves your entire self, mind, heart, and body.

Most Christians I know long for the words of scripture to move out of their heads and into the fabric of their day to day lives; that the truth of the Word would begin to order all that they do and say; that it would give them direction, purpose, and a sense of identity that transcends the circumstances of their days. Eli had such an experience, and not seeing with his eyes was why.

What would it look like for those of us to begin to experience the Word with our entire self, with our hands and eyes shut? Some thoughts.

Time- in the film Eli confesses that he reads daily. My sight often times dictates my time. What I see is what I do and what I believe I need. If time would begin to be dictated by something other than what I see, other senses would have to become as strong as sight, and have the persuasion of sight. Senses like hearing. Which is listening.

Job 4:12-"A word was secretly brought to me, my ears caught a whisper of it.” (1 Kings 19)

Pace- my pace in life often reflects what I see in this world. The willingness and discipline to rest is lacking when my eyes are open, looking for something to tell me what I already know and could experience if I would just shut my eyes and listen. Even when I do, by grace, make an attempt at this the resting pace, I often import to the process “sight-time” values (speed and efficiency) and thwart the very purpose of the exercise. There is no shortcut to experiencing what I am describing and it feels like dying before living. To slow your pace, as to read with your hands, is functionally freeing your hands of the productivity “sight” whispers to you, “this will make you whole.”

Isaiah 44:20- He feeds on ashes, a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, or say, "Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?"

Focus-My sight is often times at the center of my distraction. What I find my eyes fixated upon often gets my focus and my most valued emotional energy. In a world of multi-everything, where no one is doing just one thing at a time, and where it is celebrated that you can do so, the idea of focus has been minimized to the ability to accomplishing multiple things at one.

What I find odd is that most people now have a harder time just doing one thing at a time. That they are constantly consumed with the idea that they are missing something else, and therefore can never commit singularly to anything.

When I use the term focus, I use it in the sense that our sight must not be the driving informer of our decisions. That we shut our eyes to the prevalent cultural message that the fulfillment of the desire you have in your heart is out there somewhere and you better keep your eyes open for it, or you might miss it. Focus is the ability in real time to hear the words that speak in opposition to your sight. Focus is the ability to choose by grace to trust what you hear over what you might see, and feed that whisper, and never stop seeking it.

Matthew 10:26-27 “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.”

Sleight of Hand, Sleight of Heart

Proverbs 20:5-The purposes of a man's heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.

Two days ago I was meditating and Lord brought a person to mind that I haven’t communicated with in roughly 15 years. We were friends from childhood and spent time together at college. Rick is his name. Rick was fascinated with sleight of hand magic tricks and was quite good at them when we were in college. After poking around on the internet this week, I came to find that Rick had gone on to become one of the best sleight of hand magicians in the world, wining the world championships in 2006.

If you have watched someone perform sleight of hand magic, especially in person, it is amazing to say the least, in that things that are seemingly impossible are happening with such ease, and at such proximity to oneself, that wonder is the only possible response. I sat in my office watching youtube videos in wonder of my old friend Rick, and his ability to make the impossible, possible.

I still wondered why the Lord had brought Rick to mind. Sleight of hand was about to reveal sleight of heart.

Last night I went to watch the film The Book of Eli with a friend. He isn’t a magician, but in the realm of the heart and spirit, he reveals and conceals with the same efficiency and effectiveness. If sleight of heart were actually a measurable thing, like sleight of hand magic, well then he would be a world champion. Sleight of heart needs some defining.

In Sleight of hand magic, the basic premise is to get someone’s attention, even if for a moment fixated somewhere else, in order that in that split second, in an ordinary and relatively normal movement, an object may be manipulated for the purposes of harmless deception.

Sleight of heart is similar in the sense that our eyes often must be taken off of a particular thing, even if for a split second, in order that in that fraction of time, the heart of the truth may be revealed. Revelation is the currency of this trade.

A master in sleight of heart is someone who knows the tendency of human nature so acutely, has studied himself and his habits infinitely, has mastered the ability to retain focus in fractional timeframes, and never looses sight of the most important thing at any given moment. It is someone who is singular in they’re approach to life, knowing with certitude regardless of circumstance. For a master of sleight of heart to be a Christian, it means someone who functionally lives by grace the words of Deuteronomy 32:47-They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. To be a master, you must first be mastered. there is no other way.

When life is found, and one stops searching to find, but playing to understand, Laughter replaces despair and revelation replaces seeming ruination. For every moment then becomes an opportunity, regardless of circumstance, to fall into wonder, even when we wonder why.

Psalm 119:18-Open my eyes that I may see the wonderful things in your law.

You still watch Curious George? I do. And he's no monkey.