We Become What We Behold

The theologian William Blake claimed that we become what we behold.

And Buddhist teaching says something remarkably similar — that our lives are, in essence, shaped by what we give our attention to.

What are we beholding? What do we give our attention to?

To be fair, it is rarely that simple. I don’t know about you, but if I sit still even for a few moments, there are all kinds of thoughts going on in my headspace: We’re thinking about children, maybe grandchildren, we’re worried about school or work, the test next week, the project due, the upcoming doctor's appointment, the diagnosis. Or, any number of other immediate pressing concerns. It’s all up there, constantly…

But then, of course, there are those things that may be getting an inordinate amount of our attention…

I mentioned yesterday a friend who was so overwhelmed by the news — the politics, the conflict, the relentless churn of it all — that he couldn't sleep. He decided to fast from cable news for three weeks.

It worked. His stress level dropped significantly. He could think again. He could breathe again.

What happened? He hadn't changed his circumstances. He had changed what he was beholding.

There is something in us that mistakes vigilance for action. If I stay constantly informed, constantly alert, constantly anxious — maybe I'm actually doing something. But mostly we are just absorbing. And our souls take on the shape of what we feed them.

The Apostle Paul wrote this from prison — which is worth remembering when we read it:

Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable — think about these things.

Not: pretend the darkness isn't real. Not: look away from suffering. But — be intentional about what you dwell on. Because you will become, slowly and surely, what you behold.

Here is my invitation today. Write that verse out. Put it somewhere you will actually see it — the refrigerator, the bathroom mirror, your bedside table. Let it be a gentle, daily redirect.

Not away from the world. Toward what is true, and good, and worthy of your attention.

Prayer: God of hope, in the midst of all the noise and coarseness of modern life, help us to be mindful of what our souls are absorbing. Give us eyes to see beauty and blessing. Give us the courage to look away from what diminishes us, and toward what restores us. And grant us hearts quick to give you praise. In Christ's name. Amen.

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