Open the Eyes of My Heart – March 13

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 101, 109:1-4(5-19)20-30; PM Psalm 119:121-144
Gen. 50:15-26; 1 Cor. 12:1-11; Mark 8:11-26

The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth: “Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says ‘Let Jesus be cursed!’ and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Cor. 12:3) He was ensuring that the new church knew what truth in God’s word looked like.

There are two big statements Paul rolled into a tight space. First, those speaking on behalf of God – with the power of the Holy Spirit – would not curse the Son. While we criticize ourselves and cut down one another, God does not curse God’s self. Jesus, in a dispute with the Pharisees, said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.” (Matthew 12:25b) In his bid to become a U.S. Senator, Abraham Lincoln used those familiar words in his address to the Illinois Republican State Convention in Springfield on June 16, 1858. As he saw it, the division between people living in liberty and those subjected to slavery was no longer tenable. He anticipated the nation would become all for it or all against it.

Over and again, division is disorienting. We forget who we are and whose we are. That separation hangs over us like a sticky gauze of suffocation and sadness. We hurt one another. This is not a new story, is it? Thankfully, it is not the only narrative at play.

The second statement the apostle Paul offered what the Holy Spirit does do. When someone’s eyes are opened to see the truth of Jesus, the Divine is at work in them to see more clearly and understand more fully. It is not unlike the way that Jesus healed the blind man in Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-25). Jesus took the blind man by the hand and put saliva on his eyes and asked, “Can you see anything?” The man could see faintly, “I can see people, but they look like trees, walking.” So, Jesus laid his hands on the man’s eyes again. The man looked and his sight was clear. Jesus opened the eyes of that man – and opened the eyes of his heart to see everything clearly.

What are we to do with the division of the world? What are we to do with our blindness? God reminds us, over and again, to dare to trust the power of the Divine that binds us together in the midst of chaos and disruption. And when there are divides that are bridged, let us be bold enough to name that the power of the Holy Spirit is bringing fusion and connection. The healing grace of God is growing in those spaces where hunger is being banished, where injustice is being exposed, and vindictive words fall aside to prayer and kindness.

When we can tell these stories of hope and reconciliation, we are professing our faith. When we offer these experiences, the apostle Paul said that our words are fueled and our eyes are opened by God’s power moving within us. Our testimonies are God-filled.

As I wrap up this morning’s reflection, I leave you with the song that has been running through my mind as I wrote today, “Open the Eyes of My Heart”. The lyrics are simple and repetitive. They are an invocation to prepare for prayer, worship, and all that the day holds for you and me.

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
I want to see you
I want to see you.

To see you high and lifted up
Shining in the light of your glory
Pour out your power and love
As we sing “Holy, Holy, Holy”.

Ask God to send the Holy Spirit to open your awareness to the Divine Presence this day. And may this day feel like the gift that it is.

My prayers are with you this Lent,

Katherine+

Reflection and Challenge

Before you pray this week, sit in silence and ask God to open the eyes of your heart so that you can see and understand the space of the Divine.