What's Your Cataract?

The human eye is an organ of much beauty. It provides us with a way of experiencing life to an extent that arguably no other organ is capable of. To tourists, a breath-taking view evokes a thousand emotions. To lovers, the look of an eye says a thousand words. To parents, the sight of their joyful children relieves a thousand worries. The list goes on. But what happens when this blessing of vision begins to degrade? Similar to a camera, our eyes each have a lens inside which properly focuses light on our retina, allowing us to see clearly. In order for this lens to operate properly, it must be clear and free of impurities. As we age, white cloudy blobs called “cataracts” develop within the lens causing light to be blocked and scattered in random directions. This makes our vision unclear. It’s slightly similar to looking through a pair of glasses covered in scratches and oily fingerprints. This image shows how our vision changes with cataracts:

Notice how the healthy lens (left) precisely focuses light on the back of the eye, while the cataract filled lens (right) scatters light in random directions.

Given that analogies of “light” and “vision” are not uncommon within the realms of philosophy and theology, there are some key connections we can make to our spiritual lives. Psalm 27 states, “The LORD is my light and my salvation.” Therefore, in addition to our physical eye with which we experience the physical world, do we not also have a “spiritual eye” with which we experience the light of God? I believe that the lifecycle of the human eye is analogous to our spiritual lives. This begs the question:

What is your cataract?

What things are standing in your way of clearly seeing God?

What “cloudy blobs” exist within your spiritual field of view?

What cataract is scattering God’s light away from your heart and making your view of him “out of focus”?

Is your cataract the bad example set forth by “religious” people? Is it past wounds that have made you uncertain of what to believe? Is it attachments to material things or a preoccupation with daily life that stands in the way? Our world is abundant with obstacles that put God out of focus in our heart, both those we place ourselves, and those which are placed for us. When you look to God and the image is unclear and ambiguous, what is it that is causing this lack of focus? Pause here for a few minutes and think of what these things may be.

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It's important to take time to reflect on this because until we identify our “cataracts,” we’ll never be able to overcome them. Since “The LORD is my light and my salvation,” should I not remove my cataracts to see this light clearly? Modern Ophthalmology provides a solution to make our cataract impeded vision clear again. Cataract surgeries involve the removal of the old cloudy lens to get rid of what is impeding the patient from seeing properly. A clear lens is then implanted into the eye to focus light properly for clear vision. Shortly after this 10-minute procedure, patients go back to seeing almost perfectly. This begs the question:

How can we perform a “spiritual cataract surgery” to remove the obstacles that prevent us from seeing God clearly?

Just as there are multiple approaches to ophthalmic cataract surgery, there are different ways to go about spiritual cataract surgery. These methods may be different for each person. How can we look deep into ourselves to identify those things which are blurring and blocking our view of God? Once identified, how can we remove these cataracts and replace them with a clear lens? To many this may include changing habits, spending more time learning about who God is, or taking that leap of faith to start a relationship with God. This also includes further educating ourselves on matters that we are hesitant of, and which give rise to ambiguity, questions, and confusion. This point is something I am guilty of and should probably put more effort into. Regardless of the personalized steps we each need to take to get the ball rolling, or keep it rolling, its important we identify what our cataracts are, and how we can perform this spiritual cataract surgery to get a sharper view of God.

I think this idea of a “spiritual cataract surgery” is exactly what the Lenten season invites us to do. It really is a call for us to take some time to reflect on our lives, identify our cataracts, and consider how to go about performing spiritual cataract surgery. Many times, we get preoccupied focusing on what things to abstain from during the Lenten season, such as food. Yet, we forget that this is a time that encourages us to focus on looking inwards rather than outwards to diagnose our underlying cataracts. Given this, I think its important to remember that unlike Ophthalmic cataract surgery which takes about 10 minutes, spiritual cataract surgery is a lifelong journey in which we grow, and fall, and learn, and make mistakes. The beauty in this process is that God's mercy, should we ask for it, is large enough to cover our hiccups along the way.

I think this all can be summarized with one line from the Bible: “Happy are those who are pure in heart; they will see God” (Matthew 5:8, GNB). In light of this, let’s take up the challenge to reflect on the cataracts within our lives so that we can identify them, remove them, and know how to prevent them from reforming. In this way we will hopefully purify our hearts and see God through healthy and cataract-free lenses.

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Side note: I have to give credit to a good friend of mine, Fr. Michel Rouhana (PhD), who inspired this idea and encouraged me to write this.