How to get rid of double vision.

I have a friend who has just about perfect vision, but still wears glasses. No, it's not because he thinks he looks good in glasses. Sure, he's a good-looking guy, but that's with or without glasses...anyway. The reason he wears them is because without them he sees double. I'm not sure if they really know why, they just know that if he wears lenses that are prisms, he sees just fine. So his glasses have no prescription, just prisms.

Some things are better in twos. Bicycles are better than unicycles. Eyes are better when you have two. So are legs. Anyway, you get the picture. Sometimes two is better. When it comes to vision, however, you only want to see one. When it comes to the Kingdom of God, one is definitely better than two.

In Matthew 5:8, Jesus says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." The obvious question to ask here is what does it mean to be pure in heart?

In the Beatitudes, when Jesus says "pure," it uses the Greek word katharos. This is the origin of our word "cathartic." We often think of the word cathartic in terms of therapy. What it actually means is to purify, to get rid of all the things that don't belong and return something to its original state--the way it was intended to be. When everything is in its place, everything works right.

Of course the heart, both in Jesus' culture and ours represents the center of our being-both physical and spiritual. When we see someone who's unconscious, what do we check? We check for a pulse, of course. The heart is what makes us go.

So what Jesus is saying is "Good news for all you whose hear is free from all the things that don't belong there." The key to the Beatitudes is to remember that it's not that God will reward the people who are pure in heart or poor in spirit, etc. but this is just the way things work in the Kingdom of God. It will certainly feel like a reward, but the good news Jesus talks about in the Beatitudes are the natural result of Kingdom living.

Of course, the natural result of living with a heart free from impurities is a clear vision of God. But when our heart is corrupted by impurities, our vision of God is also impure. It's almost as if our heart is the lens through which we see God.

How does it work? Well, if my heart is basically set on God, but a little on my desire to be rich, it might result in me seeing God as the means to financial gain. "God wants me to be rich," I'd say, ignoring the stern warnings Jesus gives about love of money. If I allow sex to be close to the center, I may think God doesn't really care about pornography or lustful thoughts. If I have bitterness in my heart, I might have a judgmental attitude thinking God sees me as right despite the evidence that's obvious to everyone else.

Of course, this exposes a dangerous catch-22. I continually amazed at the number of people who can be so sure they see or rather, hear God clearly. Often, no matter what someone else says, they're so sure they hear Him right. They've made up their mind and no amount of counsel will convince them otherwise. Such situations emphasize the importance of two things: submission to Scripture and Christian community.

The Bible gives us the clearest vision of God of any other source. It's not a secret message-it's right out there for anyone to read and study and discuss. But what's important is that we're willing to submit to its message; its entire message, rather than picking and choosing what we read or study. This is why it's also important to study scripture together. We learn from each other. It's in hearing other perspectives that our biases and "impurities" are exposed.

When I rid myself of these impurities I can see God clearly. When I can see God clearly, I can look at myself clearly and honestly as well. It's only then I can be who God created me to be and my double-vision will disappear.