“If a man’s self is not kept clean and bright, his glimpse of God will be blurred – like the moon seen through a dirty telescope. That is why horrible nations have horrible religions, they have beenlooking at God through the wrong lenses” -C.S. Lewis
How true this statement is ,both personally in our own walk with God and nationally. Especially so in light of the recent Al Qaeda driven murders at France’s Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine.
Because the Kouachi brothers were looking at God through the wrong lenses, they thought they were acting on behalf of God when they walked into the Charlie Hebdomagazine on January 7, 2015 and brutally murdered 12 people, including themagazine’s editor, Stephane ‘Charb’Charbonnier.
How sad that the Kouachi’s could dosomething so heinous in the name of religion. But as Lewis indicated, perhaps they were looking at God through the wrong lenses.
Oh, I know that their god is Mohammed and my God is Jesus Christ. But in essence, part of their wrong lens is in bowing to the wrong god.
The point of this post is not to debate Islam and Christianity, but rather to help us to see the Charlie Hebdo massacre as a warning to all of us. Granted, we aren’t going to go out and kill someone. But, if we aren’t careful, we can allow our view of God to become so clouded that we begin to justify behavior that is anything but Christ-like.
Our missteps and misjudgments often begin with small lens smudging’s like a day or two of missed prayer. After just one missed day, our God-Glasses need a good cleaning; but, unfortunately, we can begin to justify missing one day and, before we know it, we’ve missed several days, until eventually we have so much dirt on our lenses that we can’t even see clearly enough to walk across the room.
I know that when my God-Lenses are smudged, I have a much harder time trusting His sovereignty when chaotic situations arise in my life, and everyone around me appears to have shortcomings that need my judgment and input.
Oh, that we would all learn to clear our hearts and our lenses before God in prayer every single day!
Think about how often you clean your natural glasses or contacts. How much more should we do this in a spiritual sense?
Let’s Pray:
LordJesus, help us to haveon God-Lenses. And help us to seekyou in repentance and humility.Let your Holy Ghost rain wash us inside and out. Show us what things are blocking our vision of Youand of those that youhave called us to love. Purify our hearts and our perceptions. Help us Lord. We understand thatthen and only then,will we be able to have clear and unimpeded God-Lenses. And that is what we want most of all. And, Lord Jesus, comfort the families of those who lost loved in the Charlie Hebdo Massacre. Be with them. Bring healing to their emotions and minds. Let them know that You are the one true, living God and that you are all about love, not hate. In your precious and holy name. Amen.