Removing the Blinders

Have you ever been driving along a familiar route – or walking for that matter – and see something, a building or something natural, like a distinctive tree that you had never seen before?  I certainly have and I think that it is a general experience for most people.  It is as if we do not have eyes to see certain things in certain places.  We have natural filters or lenses that only allow certain things to penetrate our consciousness.  This is true of more than the visual.  We are naturally open to sights and sounds and even ideas and who knows what else.  Richard Rohr addressed this recently in one of his Daily Meditations:

Everybody looks at the world through their own lens, a matrix of culturally inherited qualities, family influences, and other life experiences. This lens, or worldview, truly determines what we bring to every discussion. 

Rohr quotes theologian Brian McLaren who has identified the reason for this as Confirmation Bias:  

We judge new ideas based on the ease with which they fit in with and confirm the only standard we have: old ideas, old information, and trusted authorities. As a result, our framing story, belief system, or paradigm excludes whatever doesn’t fit. We must never presume that we see “all” or accurately. We must always be ready to see anew.

I think this also happens due to our personality types.  In the Myers Briggs Personality Types, I am an INFJ which is shorthand for Introvert Intuitive Feeling Judging type.  My weakest function is Sensing which is paired with Intuition. So, I am not attuned to the outside world as much as someone who is a Sensing Type.  I must make a conscious effort to take in the world around me. (sorry to get into the Myers Briggs weeds a bit but if you are interested you can find out more – there are many sites online)

 I believe that these biases we all have – to use McLaren's term – is also true for our awareness of the Divine in our lives.  We are attuned or open naturally to some ways that we connect with the Divine – however that is identified in your life.  There are many other ways in which the Divine is present in our lives which we are not aware of because of biases. 

If you want to deepen your connection with the Divine you can start out by becoming more aware of when this connection happens – it might be hearing beautiful music or reading inspirational writing such as the bible or other holy books, or walking in nature, or paying attention to your dreams.  Once you have a better awareness of what is natural to you, consider expanding ways which do not come naturally to you.  For me this is going on walks in nature.  It takes some effort, but it is definitely worthwhile.

I will close with a prayer

 Source of all truth, help me to hunger for truth, even if it upsets, modifies, or overturns what I already think is true. Guide me into all the truth I can bear and stretch me to bear more, so that I may always choose the whole truth, even with disruption, over half- truths with self-deception. Grant me the passion to follow wisdom wherever it leads. Thank you.  (Adapted from Brian McLaren, Learning How to See, podcast, season 2, ep. 1, “The Big Ditch,” July 2, 2021).