Perspectives

It seems today's reading has a lot to do with perspectives. Given my interest in post-modern deconstructive influences and their erosion of the moral authority of biblical teaching, this theme has particular resonance for me.

Sarai's desire to take things into her own hands is one example. Not content to wait on God's plan, she sends Hagar in to have a surrogate child by Abram. From her perspective, God's plan was either coming to slowly, or was not going to be fulfilled by her, even though Abram had been promised by God that his seed would be more plentiful than grains of sand on the beach. So, Sarai sends in Hagar, and the product of that is painful to her. And not only is it painful to Sarai, but it is also painful to Hagar and Ishmael. Pain is created in multiple lives by failing to wait and live in God's promise. How often do we "take things into our own hands" and then find out later that that was not what God had intended for us?

And then there is the perspective of covenant representation. God expressed favor to Abram, and Abram expressed faith in God. The representation of this faith (faith being the prime idea) is the physical representation of circumcision. However, circumcision is essentially a "hidden" covenant, as we don't often wave that part of our anatomy in the air for all to see. Our faith in God is a private matter, and the physical representation that follows the expression of faith is also private. Covenant representation by "actions" are also admonished to be private by Jesus in the NT reading. He warns against public displays of religious affectation, and commands to give in secret. These actions, also representations of covenant, should remain for our own perspective. Much like this mitzvot. So faith, then, becomes a private matter between us and God.

However, what about the legalists who demand structured external representation in order to define whether people have the right "faith?" As a way of drawing boundaries around what is "right" and "wrong" by making sure that people adhere to the covenant representations described in the bible. Are we only God's child if we are circumcised, and then the external "form" of faith becomes more important than that greater ideal which it is designed only to represent. Who decides what is more important, faith or its covenant representations?

The answer to that leads into my favorite section of today's reading, which appeals to what has always stimulated me most about perspective.

"A pure eye lets sunshine into your soul. But an evil eye shuts out the light and plunges you into darkness. If the light you think you have is really darkness, how deep that darkness will be!"

"...you think..." above defines the issue of perspective. What happens when you have one view of the world, and do things according to that view, and someone else has another view, and does things according to their view, and their actions cause you pain? In their mind, they are being true to their perspective, so how can you fault them? I used to think this was always what was wrong with "others." For example, behavior leading to a divorce seemed "evil" to me, but the person who was doing it felt absolutely justified in their behavior, because from their perspective, it was "right" in their minds. How I wish "others" would get it right and do things the "right way."

I say that tongue in cheek, because, as we will see in upcoming sections, Jesus tells us to remove the plank from our own eye before worrying about the speck in our brother's eye. How long I thought this applied to "others" and how much sorrow do I have now, late in life, knowing that it applied to me all along. How the light I thought I had was really darkness, and how dark that darkness became. How many of God's gifts have I lost by insistence on my own perspective, on the "...you think..." part of my life.

So what does one do? Well, I think this is it. Pray. Seek God. Seek wisdom. Do not lean on your own rationality, but search out meaning. Don't get hung up on your own "light" but rather look to God with a pure eye for His sunshine.

Perspective is a killer.It can make you do things that cause pain to you and to others. It can cause you to demand legalistic purity to make sure that someone else is "appropriate," blinding one to the person's inner heart. And it can lead into a darkness out of which lifelong regret can follow.

But at the end of the day, when private covenant representation becomes the way you live your life, you have a chance.

In order not to be trapped into our own perspective, we seek wisdom. With wisdom, we avoid those traps, as long as we keep a healthy understanding of who is in charge.

"Cry out for insight and understanding. Search for them as you would for lost money or hidden treasure. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God."

At the end of it all, what else is there to live for other than a greater knowledge of God. When you come to the end of your life, and you are facing the future, beyond the end, what else is there?