Looking Through the Eye of A Needle

And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
Mark 10:21-22,25

It is a funny thing to look through the eye of a needle. Whether you are trying to thread that needle, or just wondering how a camel would actually fit through, perspective changes completely. The world is huge but only a tiny bit of it, the rest id completely out of the picture. And it can be complicated enough to thread a needle, let alone try to see through it, or have anything else of substance pass through it. Never mind that Jesus was probably referring to an ancient tiny doorway in the city of Jerusalem, looking through the eye of a needle makes you think. Entering the kingdom of heaven requires that cast off those possessions that keep us from moving into a small space, those things that keep us from focusing on the real essential matters of life and death - loving others and caring for the world around us. Our perspective is skewed when we worry too much about protecting investments rather than protecting the children in our sight. Our perspective is skewed when we see only the numbers and not needs of those around us. And navigating the eye of a needle invites us to close one eye, and see through the half-sight of another, rather than through our own blindness. All of this is challenging to the eyes and to the heart. The kingdom of heaven is a challenge to both likewise.

Today, I pray that I can let go of possessions, worrying and the details of the day. Yes, they will have to continue and be done, but I want to focus on the narrow view -that which lies within the needle - the love and lives of the people around me. I pray that the tasks will take a backseat to the people. And may we all enter the kingdom of heaven today, letting go of the baggage and opening our arms wide to the love of God.