March 31, 2020

A blessed day to you all,
I have to admit that during my short hospital stay, I watched way more television than I should have. In doing so, I noticed a pattern on reports relating to  our public health challenges . That is that the majority fell into either the "news are dire and the world is going to end tomorrow" type, or "here are stories of recovery, hope, and courage". 

These polar opposites made me think of Matthew 6:22 [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 bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great  is the darkness.]  When we remember that Matthew was written to a Jewish audience, we take into account Jewish context such as Jewish literature. In Jewish literature, the "eye" is a lamp that reveals a person's inner life. From this perspective, a "healthy eye" (clear vision) suggests a loyal devotion to God, while a "bad eye" (impaired vision) indicates moral corruption. That is why the  verses are found in the middle of speaking on good and bad treasures. 

In a broader context, clear vision as opposed to impaired vision can help us maintain a spiritually healthy perspective. This does not mean ignoring the negatives of our current situation but focusing on the greater reality which is that God is with us. His word promises that He walks with us in the darkest valleys as well as the mountain tops. This promise helps us remember that even though our reality may be a bit cloudy right now, the sun (and the Son) is still shinning. 

Let us not get dragged down into pits of despair and negativity but rise up as beacons of hope to those we come into contact with,  and as sign posts to our glorious God. 
Blessings, Vic