Jesus once stood in the temple with his followers and asked them to carefully observe the giving patterns of persons contributing to the treasury. As they did so, he shared his perceptions of the motives behind the giving. Those who were contributing the largest sums of money, he said, were giving conspicuously, in order to be honored. But the widow who put in the last coins she had, expecting nothing in return, was giving from pure devotion (see Mark 12:41-44).
That day the followers of Jesus learned, among other things, that they needed to grow in awareness. They needed to begin looking past surface appearances to deeper, more significant truths. We are called to do the same. How often we glance at objects or situations and immediately assume that we have taken in their meaning! Yet, as we are so fond of saying and even fonder of forgetting, "There is much more to life than meets the eye."
Seeing more than the obvious requires practice and patience. Select an object of beauty near you, such as a painting, a plant, the sky, a sculpture, or the
photograph of someone you love. Describe what you see on first glancing at the object. Then look at it again, this time focusing your attention on its color(s), noticing even subtle variations in shading. And look yet again, observing different lines and shapes. Contrast the parts of the object to the whole. Think about how the various parts interrelate. Finally, glance at the object of beauty one last time, and understand that it is a gift to you from the Creator. What purpose is there in such a gift? What truth about God does it reveal?
As you go about your activities today, give careful attention to the objects in your environment. Look at them twice, first noting their surface appearance, and then really seeing them, perhaps as you never have before