Our fatal attraction makes us long for another set of eyes…

Wow, it’s a war out there. We’re walking down the road of life minding our own business when we see someone in the distance, walking toward us. We can’t help but squint our eyes and wonder who it is. The fog swirls around him like the last scene in Pride and Prejudice, when Darcy is making his way through the field to declare his love for Lizzy.  I love that scene. Oh, but I digress.  Let’s get back to the story….the long cloak and steady eyes come into view. We see him coming, dressed to the nines and sauntering toward us like a man on a mission.  Our breath catches for an instant as his voice calls out loud and strong mandating a conversation.  We should be wary. We’re not. That’s the difficult nature of this encounter.  We’re so intrigued. He’s dressed so nice. He looks so…inviting.

He has many names-Power, Greed, Hate, Lust, Selfishness, Bitterness, Envy…He always looks this good and alluring. He is quite beautiful, articulate, decisive, and as much as I hate to admit it, so captivating.  At one point or another we come face to face with these “beauties” and for a while we feel strong and justified, that is, just before the smack right across the face. He’s a soul-eater. Caught off guard, we shake ourselves awake. A fight ensues. Days of fighting for our life…

I think it’s right about this point of exasperation and bone-tired weariness that we come to the end of it all, the end of ourselves.  And that’s ok.  That’s exactly how this story is supposed to go.

Our fatal attraction makes us long for another set of eyes, eyes that see beyond the confidence and outward opulence of the fine dressed gentleman. We long for eyes that see the truth behind the masquerade because before we know it, we’re on our backs with dirt in our eyes, bruises on our bodies and stripped of all that’s valuable. All that’s left is a humble, needy soul. Why didn’t we see it coming? We’re enamored with the sparkle. That’s the short of it. Human. That’s the even shorter of it. But this is a glorious place when we think about it. There’s an unshakable dawning that happens here. Like a sunrise.  We can’t UNsee it.  A knowing seeps deep inside. We need someone bigger than ourselves.

And…He comes. Always. When we want Him.

He doesn’t saunter but walks sure and steady, with purpose. He wears plain clothes and somehow that relieves us, insuring us that He’s not selling, sweet-talking, or gimmicking. No, He comes to do the dirty work. He comes with gentle eyes, and arms that reach and feel and soothe, to hold us close and wipe the dirt from our eyes. With his touch the pain diminishes and we FEEL the lovely emanating from within Him; the light that cannot be darkened is alive, healing us from the inside out. And so we walk again and hold Him close, or more accurately, He holds us close. Either way, Jesus has come for the journey.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJbk43yYsdM&list=PL717879794B13CF2F