Vacation

“Thus, when you wake up in the morning, called by God to be a self again, if you want to know who you are, watch your feet. Because where your feet take you, that is who you are.”
― Frederick Buechner, The Alphabet of Grace

I looked at my feet this morning to see where I am.

Then I looked up!

I'm enjoying a few days of vacation with my family and will be back to the blog in earnest next week.

Curiosity

It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out

- Proverbs 25:2

But seek first for the kingdom of God and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well

- Matthew 6:33

At the center of two events in our collective lives this week are stories of two young men, both musicians in bands.  One young man looked into darkness, became lost in fear and ignorance, bought an automatic weapon and killed peaceful, innocent people.  The other young man looked into a dark sky and saw stars, became lost in curiosity, enrolled in a community college physic course and placed a dream on the surface of Mars.

We can either fear the unknown, or be curious of it.  The evidence of our choices surround us.   

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.

- Albert Einstein

the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.   

- Matthew 13: 45-46

Perspective

"The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”      - Jesus, Matt 6:22-23

You like potato and I like potahto,
You like tomato and I like tomahto;
Potato, potahto, tomato, tomahto!
Let's call the whole thing off!
But oh! If we call the whole thing off,
Then we must part.
And oh! If we ever part,
Then that might break my heart!
So, if you like pajamas and I like pajahmas,
I'll wear pajamas and give up pajahmas.
For we know we need each other,
So we better call the calling off off.
Let's call the whole thing off!
- George and Ira Gershwin

We each see the world differently.  It is truly amazing and often a confounding reality that of all the people who ever lived, are living and will live, no two people ever see the same thing in the same way.  The physical process of sight itself is one of perspective and perception as light is filtered, reflected, transformed into electrical impulses, and interpreted through individual experiences and past conditioning.   And even for people who do not have physical sight there is still the “mind’s eye” that perceives and interprets.

It really does matter how we “see” the world.  Our perspective can lead to separation and division (“calling the whole thing off”) or unity and cooperation (“calling the calling off off”) – light or darkness.

If you say “tomato”, try saying “tomahto” and see if the world is any different.   If the world seems dark, let in some light and experience it throughout your body and beyond, just as Jesus teaches us.