Saturday, April 18, 2015

The Invisible

I reflected on two things in Sirach today--don't judge before you investigate, and that the interior condition is more important than the exterior success or failure. Both of these reflect the priority of the invisible over the visible. I think what is most lacking in today's culture is the eyes to see the invisible--eyes trained in mystic vision.

Yet, the invisible is not separate from the visible. Our material existence is connected to the invisible story [I mean "narrative," not "level"]. It is just that the connection is not easily discerned and is easily misinterpreted. Perhaps a synonym for "Seek that which is above" might be "cultivate eyes to see the invisible beneath the visible."

I am convinced that the belief in the invisible is a key to escaping our intellectual prison.  Plato's cave, I suppose. Even believers are practical materialists because they always are looking for a methodological solution to even spiritual problems. They fail to realize that the Story is beyond the reach of our vision and understanding--that we do not see all ends and have to trust and not always seek closure and a result that corresponds to our understanding. 

Intellectual humility is the first virtue.

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