“Let’s see what we see.” This is a favourite expression of Virgil, a blind character played by Val Kilmer in the 1999 movie, At First Sight. It’s quite amusing to hear a blind man say this, knowing of course that he cannot see. I think there’s deliberate humour in it that tips off a capacity for a different kind of sight.
Virgil, a masseur, was blind since age three. He met Amy in one his massage sessions. Amy, a divorcee, fell for him because he helped her to truly hear and sense the world giving her new spirit and a burst of creativity. Amy took Virgil to New York for a radical eye surgery which proved to be successful but only for a while. Virgil regained his sight but eventually lose it again due to retinal disease.
There is so much insight into the gift of seeing revealed by Virgil’s struggle to make sense of the new images that overwhelmed him after the surgery. His eyes could see images but could not give meaning to them. Learning how to see things meaningfully with his eyes was as painstaking as learning how to speak for the first time. Later, after his short-lived adventure with sight, he would testify that he was better-off without his sight. He was better off in “seeing” what was real in the world without his eyes. What a paradox!
This has reminded me of the often-quoted book of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince: "What is essential is invisible to the eye. It is only through the heart that one sees rightly." Virgil saw what was real not through his eyes but through his heart.
Healthy eyes are not a guarantee of profound vision. On the other hand, a blind man, with a sensitive and receptive heart, can actually say with humour and integrity, “Let’s see what we see.”
Today’s gospel (Mt. 13: 1-23) does not just tell a parable, it also tackles the Lord’s reason for using it. There’s so much to learn from the parable of the sower, but I wish to reflect on the reason given by Jesus when asked why he employs parables. Jesus’ answer has everything to do with seeing and listening as he says:
“I use parables when I speak to them because they look but do not see, they listen but do not hear or understand... Sluggish indeed is this people’s heart... But blest are your eyes because they see and blest are your ears because they hear” (Mt. 13: 14-16)
The parables of Jesus are meant to enlighten us about intangible truths (the mysteries of the Kingdom, for instance) using metaphors culled from day-to-day life. But it seems that the parables also become a hindrance to seeing the truth and a punishment to those with “sluggish heart” who faithlessly refuse to accept the message of God.
Jesus is challenging us to see with our heart. Seeing with the heart allows us to grasp with clarity the essentials in life as the Lord has revealed them.
But all too often we don’t see clearly. Without trying to be exhaustive, I submit the following hindrances to real and meaningful seeing:
First, our habit of looking away. Again, in At First Sight, when he was able to see, Virgil observed with astonishment that people look away. Unbelievable! They don’t actually look with intent. This can mean they don’t want to face realities about themselves and others squarely. Virgil concluded that the problem with sighted people is that they go on with life without seeing their real selves. Ouch! Do we just glance through the superficialities of life? And avoid confronting what really matters to our lives?
Second, our habit of turning a blind eye. Most of the time, we are confronted with hard realities in life, personal, social or realities within our families, things that matter most but are calling for change. We actually see but we just don’t care enough. We don’t want to get involved. So even if the truth summons for radical change, we go on life as if we have seen nothing wrong and pretend that everything’s fine. We turn a blind eye in order to spare ourselves from the obligation to move out of our comfort zones.
Third, our “sluggish heart.” Lazy, slow, listless, slothful, lethargic heart. This is what Jesus sees, in today’s gospel, as the fundamental hindrance to profound seeing and understanding. A person with a lazy heart does not see beyond what meets the eye. He or she does not reflect. Life for such a person is all about flashy externalities and frenzied activities devoid of depths and meaningful connections. Such a person does not notice the “parables” embedded into the stories of his day-to-day life. A sluggish heart refuses to see the hand of God in the events of life.
It’s so true; only through the heart that one sees clearly what is essential. A blind man’s receptive disposition despite the total darkness that envelops his world puts into question not just our capacity to see with our eyes but essentially the openness of our hearts.
Today’s gospel again is an invitation to see clearly what truly matters in life. It invites us to shake off our superficiality, our cowardice, and our heart’s laziness and complacency. Jesus is more like a blind man gently grabbing us by the arm and inviting us for a walk as he says with a smile, “Let’s see what we see.”
No comments:
Post a Comment