I love watching videos that show people in a real moment. There is something about seeing someone in their “Aha” moment that is incredible. I like it best when they are inspiring and touching, not horrific or incredibly sad. Every time I see a soldier come home to surprise a family or loved ones I cry. I can’t help it, and I’m not afraid to admit it. When a child gets an unexpected gift or a puppy, I might tear up as well. I bet you do too!
A couple of years ago, my friend was filmed getting a birthday gift. It was from his daughter. Although he raised her, he wasn’t officially her dad. For his birthday she gave him adoption papers. All he needed to do was sign them and it was official! The video has over 24 million views and still makes me cry. You can watch it here.
For some time now, another type of video has been making the rounds. Maybe you have seen the videos of people hearing for the first time. Alternatively, the videos of kids being able to look at their parents with the proper glasses. They kill me. I never thought they would be as moving as they are but videos of people getting to see color for the first time make me cry as much as any of them. People of all ages and all walks of life get to see what the world is really like. They often ask the question, “Is this what it really looks like?” The answer is always yes. Being with them at that moment is incredible.
I take for granted my ability to see color. It never occurs to me there is another way to view the world until I am with someone who is colorblind. They can’t see red, green, blue, yellow or the incredible varieties they have within themselves. The hues, shades, and complexity of colors dissolve into a monochromatic landscape, robbing them of the joy that color brings.
A Facebook friend recently shared a video of these stories all put together. Watching people cry because things were so beautiful and maybe even because of what they have missed made me weep with joy for them, but it also made me reflect.
Jesus healed many people who were blind. They weren’t color blind; they were blind. When they received their sight, it must have been overwhelming. Maybe they lost their sight, or perhaps they never had it. Can you imagine seeing for the first time? Joy and tears must have flowed each time He did it. He healed their eyes but did a lot more. They would no longer be a burden to the family, wouldn’t have to beg for alms, they could work and contribute. They could regain or gain status in a society where there was none. They were a person on a level they could never reach in their blindness.
When I watched people cry with joy and astonishment as they looked through their glasses, I cried out to God and asked Him to give me His glasses. I want to see people the way He sees people. I am ‘colorblind.’ I don’t see people with all their hues, nuances and beauty. I flatten them out, make them monochrome, when in fact, God made them beautifully nuanced and incredibly bright. Seeing others the way that God does would change my heart and make me more tender to what story He is writing with them. It would give me a chance to move them from an object, a problem to be solved, a struggle to overcome, a person to be overlooked, to a beautiful person waiting to be noticed or a dynamic sunrise that fills our eyes with awe and wonder. I believe that is how God sees us. I think that is how each person is intended to live, but I fall far short.
I want eyes to see the beauty in people. I need the Glasses of the Gospel to change how I interact with those around me on a fundamental level, improving the dynamic range of color and hue that fills my eyes. I also need to see through these glasses when I look in the mirror. Seeing myself as God’s masterpiece, a beautiful display of color and vibrancy will change how I live my life, and I need it.
For those outside, those watching the video of discovery, I would hope that they can see what Christ is like. They would watch what Christians are like, seeing, practicing, celebrating and co-laboring with God in the beauty He has made, and can’t keep themselves from wanting to be a part of it all. May you see with His eyes today, whether you are looking around you, or in a mirror and may the beauty moisten your eyes, and the wonder fill your soul.
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