Refocus. I had to do that for this blog. I had jotted down verses. Scribbled some thoughts. Explored different ideas.
But this blog just wasn’t coming together.
Then I realized.
I needed to refocus. I was using a wide-angle lens to try to capture something that needed a focal point. I was sweeping across too many subjects, when I needed to zoom in and concentrate on one subject. My lens was fuzzy, out of focus, blurry.
I paused and asked myself.
What is at the heart of the image I want to capture?
Where do I need to refocus my attention?
The answer became clear.
Especially during the Lenten season; a time of preparing (refocusing) our hearts.
The answer.
Jesus.
He needs to be at the heart of my focus.
My focus needs to be on his heart.
When asked which commandment was the greatest (translate: which ones should we focus on?), Jesus named two.
- Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.
- Love your neighbor as yourself.
Since Jesus is the very image of God, and if we see Jesus, we see God, if we love Jesus, we love God, then putting Jesus at the center of my lens and adjusting my heart and mind to see him clearly, I am focusing on the first important thing.
I need to do the first well, in order to do the second well. When I’m using my heart, soul, mind and strength to love Jesus, I’m going to get a clearer picture of his heart and how he loved. If I know how he loved, then I know how he wants me to love.
My refocus, my attention, will be to zoom in on Jesus, to know his heart, and see how he loves. Then, as my eyes sweep across the landscape, I can take in the wide-angle view of those Jesus loves and see them clearly in order to love them, too.
tablets of human hearts 