I have worn corrective lenses, otherwise known as eyeglasses, since second grade. As nearsighted as I became as the years went by, my glasses became an absolute necessity for me to see.
For nearly as long as I have worn lenses to correct my vision, I have heard that the Word of God is like a lens through which we should see the world; it should affect how we see everything around us. I like that illustration, but recently I began to wonder if the Word should instead be more like x-ray vision for us.
Every lens is a different shape and thickness, thus producing a different effect on how we perceive what we are seeing. Think of the proverbial phrase about viewing a situation with rose-colored glasses, for example.
Each of us has our own biases about the world and God, biases that have been shaped by the cultures in which we are raised: our family of origin, our extended family, our local communities, our church communities, our country, etc. As Christians, we tend to think that our view of God and His Word is the correct one, and we wear that just like a lens through which we constantly view the world.
The problem is that if our lens isn’t the right thickness or size, what we see around us can become distorted.
When other Christians don’t worship or dress like we do or have the same views on schooling children or on alcohol, we begin to see them as not in the same category as we are. We think the way we see the Word actually defines the Word.
Don’t get me wrong; there are absolutes that we must hold onto–regardless of the lens, the objects we see aren’t actually any different–but how we perceive and apply those things does change.
So…if we begin to see the world with a vision of the Word that is more like an x-ray that sees below the surface, then we can better see things for what they really are.
God’s truth is all around us: in the creation He has made that reflects His glory, in the intricacies of science and the human body, in literature and story and film that reflect the truth about human nature and its sinful complexities and need for redemption.
As Christians, we don’t hold a corner on truth. We can see truth in philosophy and psychology, in physics and biology. When we see with vision that goes past the unredeemed authors and the distorted philosophies that they promote, kernels of truth will often pop out. Those give us points of connection to show people in our world that what they see works because it is true and reflects the true Word who wants to know them and have a relationship with them.
Recently, my husband preached a message on Paul’s interactions with the Greeks in Athens on Mars Hill. It was there that the people had displayed altars to many gods, including an altar with the inscription “To the Unknown God” (Acts 17:21-22). I love how Paul masterfully and kindly reasons with these men, connecting a piece of their culture that revealed the truth that there really was a God that they had yet to know, the Only True God!
Like Paul with the Athenians, we need to shine the x-ray vision of the Word of God into the hearts, lives, and thoughts of people around us. Then we can see how they reflect the image of God, though it is distorted–as it is in all of us. Instead of seeing only through our particular lens and thus refusing to look at them or at their books or philosophies, we should look for points of connection.
We want them to see that the the Living Word is right in front of them, revealing Himself to them so that they, like Paul said of the Athenians, “would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist” (Acts 17:27-28). I love how Paul even quotes one of their own poets who reflected the truth about who God is without even knowing Him: “for we are also his children” (Acts 17:28).
The more I grow in my faith, the more I realize how the Word is reflected in so many things around us. As we, by His Holy Spirit, discern that, we will increase our witness as believers.
By God’s grace, I want to set aside my glasses and come close to the Living Word, through His written Word and by fellowship with His Spirit, so that I will see with x-ray vision into the hearts of others. I want the Word to help me wisely and lovingly discern their thoughts and lives and culture so that I can connect people with Him, the Source of all truth and life.
May the Word confirm our witness in their hearts!
Taking it Further:
How have you lost opportunities for witness or fellowship by not associating with others who might think and live differently than you do? How can you develop a deeper vision of truth to grow in connecting with others and with God?
