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Optical Illusions

 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (I Corinthians 1:18)

 



 

            Optical illusions are fun. The one above is famous. Is it a picture of a girl or an old crone? For some folks, it is definitely one or the other and even if you show them both, they won’t see it. But when you finally see the second image, it’s almost transformative. Technically, it’s a paradigm shift, but another name for it is the “A Ha! Moment.”

            Today’s passage speaks of a sort of optical illusion. Some people look at the cross, and see foolishness. How could anyone believe that someone who died came back to life? How could anyone believe that His doing so could be the key to anything? How could His death and resurrection have anything to do with our lives? How can you even say there is anything beyond the material universe? All that stuff Christians talk about is just n.o.n.s.e.n.s.e.

            Until you see it. And once some see it, they can’t see the other way anymore. A new world has opened to them, and not only do they not want to go back, but they can’t seem to see what they saw before. And some people who have come to see the power of God in it all can also see the foolishness. This is why I find it amusing when someone tells me that I just don’t understand anything about evolution, or the material universe, etc.

            Put simply, if evolution and materialism were true, the universe would look the way the universe looks. But if God created the heavens and the earth, and man in His image, then the universe at least could look the way the universe looks.

            But the optical illusion effect isn’t only found between those outside of the faith and those among the faithful. Within some supposedly scientific circles is the question of nature v nurture. Within Christian circles, there are questions about things like free will and total depravity.

            And when it gets personal, there are questions like “Does God care?” and “Is God involved in my life?” I suspect the problem is that we can’t see past the “old crone” to see the young lady. Maybe the problem isn’t with what we’re seeing so much as in how we see it. 

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