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Today's
Meditation:
Sometimes
I close my eyes very tightly and try to imagine what it
would be like to be blind. I know that I never truly
can imagine just what it would be like, for I've already
spent many years seeing, and I would have the memories of
vision there in my mind. The blindness of not seeing
would be a tragedy for those of us who have experienced the
visual splendor of our world. But
what have I missed in life even though I can see?
What has passed me by because of my insensibility, my
unwillingness or inability to see the world around me and
the people in it? Helen Keller is willing to accept
physical blindness for what it is, but she calls us to task
for not seeing even though we have the physical capability
to do so. Literary
works throughout the ages have explored the concept of
blindness--probably the most famous is Shakespeare's King
Lear. He knows his daughters as his daughters, but
he's completely blind to their true natures because he
refuses to know them deeply and truly. In the play, he
ends up actually losing his eyes as a result of his
ignorance and blindness. If
we can see, we take what we see for granted. If we can
hear, we take things like music and the wind in the trees
for granted. If we can taste, we take flavors for
granted. We work ourselves into a state of ignorance
of the true nature of things, and we lose our ability to see
past the surface of people and things. Being busy and
being in a hurry can make this process even more
drastic. Since we're not physically blind, shouldn't
we take full advantage of the gift of the sense of sight,
and actually see the world in which we spend our lives? |
