This essay continues a sequence. Read the previous one here.
The light of the body is the eye:
if therefore thine eye be single,
thy whole body shall be full of light.
But if thine eye be evil,
thy whole body shall be full of darkness.
If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness,
how great is that darkness!
— Matt 6:22-23
This is not about physical sight. It’s about radical changes in self-knowledge and perception that happen with a Word-oriented mindset.
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If this were a reference to the physical eye it would not apply to blind people.
Christ’s Word comes to us from Above (ref. “We Don’t Understand The Word“) and therefore does not contain such gaps. This is more likely a reference to our general sensory apparatus: what we perceive and how we interpret it.
We Are Blind To Our Own Nature
In “Blessed Are The Pure In Heart” we mentioned certain findings from the field of psychology that are relevant here.
Cognitive bias refers to a tendency to interpret information in a way that confirms our existing beliefs e.g., we believe our country is “just” so we interpret evidence of war crimes as isolated incidents or enemy propaganda.
Interpretative denial is when we acknowledge a situation but deny its significance e.g. we accept that we are destroying the environment but deny the seriousness of the situation.
The explanations in “Active Spirit, Passive Matter” inter alia demonstrate that these blind spots are evidence of internal character flaws i.e. internal blindness.
Removing internal blindness is a process of purification (ref. “Ye Must Be Born Again“). Not the “outside-in” approach of fixing psychological blind spots for material or social advantage (as covered in many self-improvement books), but the “inside-out” effort of becoming born anew.
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Love Is The Prescription
If therefore thine eye be single,
Love is the “single” thing The Word demands we focus on:
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
…
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
— KJV, Matt 22:37-40
Ego has blinded us (ref. “Turn The Other Cheek“). We have to correct our eyesight through a new habit of viewing the world using the lens of love.
Thy whole body shall be full of light
This does not mean that we become perfect overnight, but that our imperfections are brought to light i.e. become visible. That is the first step in overcoming them.
If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness,
how great is that darkness!
If we don’t do this, our faults will increase, and we will become increasingly blind to our own nature, making self-improvement increasingly difficult.
Example: The Cynic
The lens of love always prompts us to check ourselves (ref. “Blessed Are The Merciful“). Negative suspicions will not immediately occur to one who is good, because they are foreign to his nature.
Sometimes there is no reason for distrust but our impure nature makes us see nonexistent shadows. Sometimes we were the ones that introduced the distrustful vibe in the first place. Love helps us to become conscious of these processes.
When we are dealing with difficult characters, love makes us less focused on ego (ref. “Turn The Other Cheek. Why? How?“), and more focused on an objective understanding of the situation and a mature resolution of the issues.
Example: The Moralist
Complaints by men about the loose dressing habits of many women are often valid. But they must flow from a pure heart. In some cases, the irritation stems from an inner struggle with lust.
When using the lens of love has become habitual, looking for the higher femininity in every woman happens instinctively. If that high femininity is absent, he will feel a sense of aversion – even if she is “modestly” dressed. His focus shifts from outward dress to inner nature (which clothing reveals but does not comprehensively determine).
The light of love always works both internally and externally: overcoming inner weaknesses while improving one’s ability to identify those who are in need of guidance.
Conclusion
The Word presents a key step on the path to self-knowledge and self-renewal: inculcating the habit of looking for the good and the pure in the world around us.
Today’s Resolution:
- We pray that we be given the strength to use the hints given to us in The Word for our self-purification.
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