Assisting With Divine Sight
Written by: Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice. ”
The great singer/songwriter Paul Simon tells an introspective story in a book by Robert Hilburn,
entitled Paul Simon. Simon says (sorry for the bad pun), “...and say, ‘If you could be six foot two with a mop of hair, would you pay a million dollars?’ I said, ‘Absolutely.’ Then God said, ‘Would you pay five million?’ and, again, I said, ‘Absolutely.’ Then the question changed: ‘If you could be six foot two with a mop of hair, would you give away ten of your songs?’ and that’s when I said, ‘No.’ That was too much. The songs are really a part of you. Not all of you, but kind of the best part of you. It’s not the vain part of me or the pissed-off part of me, it’s the generous part.” Paul Simon found what was important to him, and he is blessed to know its actual value.
We possess something of more value than Paul Simon’s top ten songs. If we are honest and not caught in a moment of doubt, our faith in God is essential in our lives. It is worth more than being incredibly handsome or beautiful. It is worth more than Bill Gates’ net worth. Like Paul Simon and his songs, we are reminded of the blessed gift given as people of faith.
I had a cynical friend look at me, one time, and admit, “I am jealous of people like you, who have faith. I wish I could believe.” I spent the next few days feeling frustrated that I couldn’t provide him with faith. Then, I stopped and realized how truly blessed I’ve been throughout my life to recognize God in our midst. It has nothing to do with me but the Spirit’s willingness to help me realize the Divine.
If you are blessed enough to have faith, don’t be proud. Be grateful! God’s grace is a gift but also a responsibility. If you’ve been blessed with the assistance of Divine sight, be open or available to pray and listen. Providing faith is entirely God’s job, but God can use us to assist in giving Divine sight. When we remain open and available, we can be there for people like my cynical friend and nurture the songs of faith within our hearts.
