Seeing With New Eyes

Here's a little something from Richard Rohr that was adapted from his book Immortal Diamond. It speaks to my heart and vision for how I wish we could all see. I hope it speaks to you as well.

We each have different faces and different colors of skin; some of us have hair, some of us don’t; some are tall, some are a little shorter. If we are living out of the false self, all we can do is measure, compare, evaluate, and label. That’s what I call dualistic thinking, and it’s where our world lives. Many people think that all they have are these external costumes—but when we put on the eyes and mind of Christ, we have a new pair of glasses. We can look around and know that the world is filled with infinite images of God. Isn’t that a nicer world to live in? It’s the ultimate political-social critique.

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Eyes, Greek, 5th c. BCE or later, Bronze, marble, frit, quartz, and obsidian.

RABBI DANYA RUTTENBERG  writes:
Greek and Roman statues were designed to give a colorful lifelike impression. Marble and wood sculptures were brightly painted, and bronze statues were originally a pale fleshlike brown. Lips and nipples were often inlaid with copper, and teeth with silver. Eyes were usually made separately and set into prepared sockets. This pair was designed for an over-lifesize statue.

I studied art history in college. I have see all sorts of antiquities, like these eyes that Rabbi Ruttenberg wrote about. I have seen hints of color in statuary, but none are as vibrant as they once were. Colors fade over time. The precious metals, if they aren't stolen, will corrode as they age. Even the stone, like marble, cracks and crumbles. Same is true about us.

​We all put on some kind of makeup, painting ourselves to look like what we think is real beauty. We believe it's everlasting. But the harsh truth flesh dies. We waste time with defining ourselves and others by outside standards, when Jesus taught us to look inward, to see the Divine Image within each person. This is one's true self. By looking through the eyes of Christ, we see who we really are - God's beloved. When we come to see ourselves this way, then we will be able to see each other the same. With new seeing comes new ways to love unconditionally as God first loved us.

Again, Rohr has this reminder for us. "We cannot build any serious spiritual house if we do not first find something solid and foundational to build on—inside our self! 'Like knows like' is the principle. God-in-us already knows, loves, and serves God in everything else."

 
 
 Adapted from Richard Rohr, Immortal Diamond: The Search for Our True Self (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2013).