Look Into My Eyes

‘I hope you’re not planning on travelling too far abroad with that?’ It was more of a polite comment than an admonition from one of Her Majesty’s Customs officers in Calais the other day. I knew exactly what he was saying. The cover of my passport looks as if José Greco has done the flamenco on it and my photo is so blistered I was considering rubbing it with preparation H.

‘You need to get it replaced, but at least you’ll receive one of the new biometric passports.’ Gee thanks, I can find lots of other ways to spend fifty pounds!

Within the European Union all new passports are to contain a microchip that holds certain unique biometric information about us, such as fingerprints and measurements from our eyes. And if approved within the European Union, it may soon carry our medical records. But for now, the first step will be on the ability to read our eyes.

It’s no surprise that our eyes can offer a valuable insight as to who we are. When our Prime Minister turned 50, he may or may not have been pleased when he was reminded of President Bush’s comment about him, ‘I have looked into his eyes and seen a man of character and courage.’ Many of us believe that if we look into someone’s eyes we’ll be able to see who they are – like a window on the soul. Personnel managers claim it’s a quick check on approachability and honesty.

But there are other aspects to eyes. They can be great seducers. I don’t mean sexually, but they can be used to draw people out of their own comfort zones and into areas where they may not wish to go.

They can be a veil over wickedness. Countless stories exist of people who have said how imploring and honest someone’s eyes were only later to be found saying ‘ I can’t believe he did such a thing.’

The reverse is also true that eyes can misrepresent the fine qualities of an individual. Someone may be nervous, or overawed and so be less eye-to-eye. Some people who are of the finest character are blind and are incapable of communicating who they are in any reliable way through their eyes, either through transmitting or receiving eye messages.

Jesus taught us to attend to the way we see. He warned us about the morally blind eye, the lustful eye – ‘You have eyes but don’t see’ – ‘if your eye is evil, your body will be full of darkness.’ There is a real moral and spiritual battle reflected in these sayings. Just as our iris is unique, so is the way we see people, how we look at the world around us, our prejudice and greed, our love and compassion.

And no matter what your age or profession you can still make mistakes. When those mistakes occur it can make you feel more distant from God. No wonder it can be a struggle.


Lord in Heaven, we pray that you open our eyes so that we may see Your love, just as we feel Your love. As we open our hearts to You, our eyes will see You more clearly. We pray this in Your Son’s name. Amen


Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. Isiah 33:17