Mark Sorensen On Tuesday, I finally checked off something that has been on my “to-do” list for AT LEAST two years: get my contact lens prescription updated. I must confess that, though my glasses have been around for a while, before I came to The Woodlands I mostly wore contact lenses. It’s just easier on so many levels. Take, for example, my running. I can’t run in my glasses because they tend to slip and become a distraction for me. So, I run without them. Now, for the past two years that I have been running the trails in The Woodlands, if I were to pass you, I would give you the friendly runner “Hello” with a slight wave. The only problem I have noticed with this particular expression of shalom is that it has about a 60/40 success rate. Meaning, about 60% of the people I wave and say “hello” to are actually people. The other 40% are trees and inanimate objects. I blame the poor vision on that one.
So on Tuesday, I’m in the dark room getting fitted for my lenses. This is when I learn of the mystery and wonder that is monovision. As the nice ophthalmologist explained, one eye is fit with a prescription that addresses my distance vision, and the other is fit with a lens that corrects my near vision. Here’s what I gather: when I look in the distance, my brain knows that the right eye is the one to use, so brain communicates to right eye and says, “Hey, you’re on.” The result? I see clearly. When I look down and read a book, brain calls into power the left and, shazam, clarity. It’s crazy. I feel a bit like the terminator, minus the glowing red eye and internet vision face-scanning technology (see here for visual explanation).
Interesting that this is called monovision. It should be dualvision, right? Two eyes doing two distinct things? Yet the broader picture here is that it’s an overall clarity that brings about a single focus both near and far.
Now this:
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. -2 Corinthians 4:17-18
Here’s a beautiful perspective on monovision in relationship to the faith, right? Life can be hard, there’s no questioning that. There’s doubt, there are mountains that can feel overwhelming and impassable. Yet we must keep perspective. The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthians is reminding the believers to keep a monovision approach to the faith by reminding the believers to “fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.” We live in this world with an eye on the “now,” looking for intentional ways to be builders of His Kingdom in the way we love God and love one another as He has loved us. Yet we are also reminded that an eye is always on the eternal. Life is challenging. There are road bumps, detours, pot holes, and breakdowns. Through Jesus Christ, though, there’s life eternal. God never gave up on His creation and He is still in the business of making all things new. He will make all things new. The battle may be tough, but victory belongs to the Lord.
Two eyes, but one single, beautiful focus.
