I Can See Clearly Now

Without My Glasses On Everyone Becomes equal...I see people Better.

I wear glasses. I got them sometime in my senior year of high school. But it wasn’t until midway through college that I wore them regularly. Now it’s hard to remember never having them.

One thing I hate about glasses is they get dirty. My friend Chad, who works for a famous eyewear company, said it’s because I have greasy eyelashes. He might have been joking but I now use Dawn dishwashing soap to clean them, because as their old tag line used to say, “Nothing cuts grease better than Dawn.” And take it from me, an aging ex-copywriter, advertising doesn’t lie.

Now, if you wear glasses you might understand this phenomenon. It happens when you take them off and for a few brief seconds the world is in perfect focus. Nothing is blurry. There are no smudges or fingerprints, just bright crisp colors and sharp lines. The world is exactly how the world is supposed to be.

Every time this happens my mind tricks me into believing, “Holy crap! I can see again! It’s a miracle! Praise God!” And just like that, just as quick as it happens, someone or something tweaks the lenses askew and everything goes all blurry again. “Damn!”

People often ask me why I don’t wear contacts. One reason is my prescription used to not allow them. Today, thanks to technology, I could if I wanted. But truth be told, I hate the thought of having to touch my eyeballs. It just seems gross.

​Years ago, I used to tell people the reason was because I liked to be able to take my glasses off because it always made the girls at the bar look better. (Don’t judge me, I was single at the time) But you know what, and it’s okay for you to admit it to yourself... there’s some truth in what I’m saying.

Think about that for a moment, especially you who don’t wear glasses or contacts. Imagine for a moment what life would be like if everything were out of focus. Everyone becomes equally as beautiful because everyone is equally as blurry.

​In fact, the main reason I like to take my glasses off (other than going to bed) is it helps me see people better. The way we’re supposed to see one another.

I can see clearly now the rain is gone
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (bright)
Bright (bright) sunshiny day

I think I can make it now the pain is gone
All of the bad feelings have disappeared
Here is that rainbow I've been praying for
It's gonna be a bright (bright)
Bright (bright) sunshiny day
​
Look all around, there's nothing but blue skies
Look straight ahead, there's nothing but blue skies

I can see clearly now the rain is gone...

I like to think this is how God sees us. Not blurry, but all the same. I like to think God sees us perfectly, in sharp focus, and thinks about how beautiful we are. Each one different, and yet all the same.

Every now and then I like to remind myself of why I started this blog in the first place, or why I named it Jesus, not Jesús. Yes, the name is weird and it starts a good conversation with people, but that’s not the reason I began this journey to see Christ in the face of strangers. In fact, it was to be able to see Christ, in perfect focus, in all people equally. Just the way God sees us.

This has not be easy to do. I have learned that it will take the rest of my life to fail at this if I am going to truly succeed (it’s Lent after all). But I have made it a life goal to see life through the eyes of Jesus, who had no home or place to lay his head. He lived on the mercy of others, but gave generously to those who needed. He saw people with the same tenderness and kindness of God, who sees us all equally. No amount of grease, dirt, smudge, or fingerprints will distort the way God sees you or me. But is that how you see God?

Jesus teaches us to see through his eyes, which helps us see the circular love of God at work. That is to say we will see how to receive and how to give - how to allow God to flow to you and through you. This helps us when we are having trouble seeing people for who they really are - not as mean, or ugly, or as strangers with different color skin or smells, but as children of a God who clearly loves us just as we are.