Open thou mine eyes…

30 June, 2022

We usually see what we choose to see. We are narrow minded by default. Our past experiences, personal opinion and limited understanding shapes our worldview.

To begin with, there is a story about a man who stood on the roof of his house, during a cyclone and severe flooding, and was praying to God to rescue him. The Police came by with a rescue boat and told him to hop on; but he refused, believing that God would rescue him. Later, a rescue helicopter swooped by and passed down a ladder for him to climb up. He still refused, adamant that God would rescue him from this adversity. That man eventually died in the floodwaters. What mode of deliverance did he envision God to send his way? A band of glowing angels, maybe?

In like manner, ‘As His representatives among men, God does not choose angels who have never fallen, but human beings, men of like passions with those they seek to save…We must be laborers together with God; for God will not complete His work without human agencies.’¹

The Bible tells us that it is God, “…that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth…I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it…” (Revelation 3:7-8)
God provides opportunities and allows certain circumstances to occur, but our reactions will determine the eventual outcome. God is not going to force us into any situation without our consent.

Furthermore, atheists and skeptics argue that God is but a concept only existing in literature and imagination. But any sensible person that curiously observes nature will wonder to themselves: with all the complexity and intricate processes and structures present in the natural world, did it all just appear by accident? (Tell a hard-battled rugby captain that leads his team through a grueling season of matches, to finally lift the championship trophy, that their win was sheer luck or a fluke – see what he or she may tell you)

Like I mentioned earlier, we only see what we want to see. This then limits our sense of discovery. People talk about reaching their full potential. But usually they just mean in the context of a particular discipline, not holistically. Personally, I strive to keep an open and an objective mindset. This way, I can understand other people’s opinion and also learn something new.

On the other hand, this may seem to excuse the concept of relativity. That there are no absolutes. Every opinion and explanation is true to whosoever chooses to accept it. This mentality is obscure and biased. Just as there is a beginning, there is an end. Just as there are imitations and generics, there is a genuine and original. All roads don’t lead to Rome. Every road has its own destination; but they all don’t lead to the exact same destination. It is no wonder Jesus proclaims himself as The way, The truth, and The life. Jesus is certain that He is unique and distinguished from all other versions of truth, and all other sources of life; and Jesus claims that He is not the same as every other prophet or religious leader.

When you tell your dear ones that you love them, are you absolutely sure? Or are you relatively sure? Of course, in our limited capacity to love, we mean what we are saying. Likewise, this also is the same with reality. We can deny certain figures, certain ideas, certain place; but until we are absolutely sure of it, following extensive research, our perspective does not change reality.

Smashing the mirror because we don’t like the pimples on our face, does not remove the pimples off our faces; claiming that the world is flat when satellite images reveal that it is spherical, does not alter the earth’s shape. But like I mentioned earlier, we only see what we choose to see. We are willfully ignorant by default.

Finally, may it be our request to the Ruler Supreme, the Creator of life, the lover of our soul, our Heavenly Father that he may open our eyes to see; open our hearts to understand and expand our ability to process and accept certain realities that we would otherwise prefer to ignore.   

Reference:
1. E.G. White, Christian Service (1925), Review and Herald Publishing Association: Hagerstown, MD; pp.7-9.