New "eyes"

“Open the eyes of my heart, Lord” begins the popular praise song by Michael W. Smith. Smith was inspired by Paul’s prayer-filled opening words of his letter to the Ephesians. Paul prayed God would give them a new way to “see”—with “the eyes of your heart filled with light”—so

you may know what is the hope to which God has called you, what are the riches of God’s glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of God’s power for us who believe, according to the working of God’s great power.

Paul talked as if all that God wants to give us starts with these new “eyes.” And indeed, scripture itself is filled with similar talk, sometimes using other metaphors:
• ears, hearing, and listening
• waking up from sleep and staying ready
• becoming a “new creation” or being born “again” or “from above”
• being “baptized in the Spirit”
• having the mind of Christ or knowing God
• God writing the law on human hearts

Scriptures in the Old and New Testaments, using diverse metaphors, promise a radical new way of processing life, the world, suffering, other people, and everything. 

We can’t experience a fully Christ-soaked world with the same, old “operating system.” All good religion unites. That’s what re-ligio means, “to reconnect.” The Word made flesh is a great reunion. So our old ways of dividing—separating, competing, striving to be superior—has to go. In Christ, they are going, will be gone, like it or not.
Pastor Clark