Window to the Soul

Tuesday, 6/17, 5:50pm - Train to Kesinga

“The eye is the window to the soul.” - Hiram Powers

I’m on the train from Vizag to Kesinga. The train just stopped at a small town to pick up a few passengers. Outside of my seat window I see three males, I estimate they are in their early twenties. They are people watching, laughing casually with one another. Hidden behind the tinted barrier of my window I watch them with intrigue. At first I’m glad to see their laughter; I’ve seen a lot of sadness in the faces we’ve passed so far. But looking more deeply into their eyes, I see the same quality that I’ve seen in nearly every other face since we arrived here: emptiness. It’s hard to describe the quality of this look; it’s full of unrest, selfishness and desperation...the light behind their eyes is gone. Even behind the seemingly jovial faces of these three young men, looking deeply into their eyes reveals a terrifyingly desperate lack of hope and complete emptiness. Their eyes drew me in with a mystical, entrancing darkness.

Gloria’s eyes have also caught my attention. Gloria is a woman who met us at the airport this morning - we’ve spent today together. She was very nice when we first met her, not uncommon to the rest of the kind people we have met so far. On a bus from the airport into the city, I absentmindedly glanced back at her as she was looking out the window. What I saw made it physically difficult to turn away: an astonishing warmth, deep love and captivating light was shining from her eyes. As she sat peacefully on the hot, rattling bus, I noticed that the smile I was greeted with at the airport was a permanent fixture on her face. The joy flowing from her bright eyes made it nearly impossible to look away from her. Her demeanor was one of complete peace, and her eyes drew me in with an undeniable, captivating light.

It’s hard for me to believe that the remedy for something seeming so visibly deeply rooted and powerful could be so simple, but among the lives I have observed there has been one consistent difference: faith in Jesus Christ. The life giving power of the Holy Spirit at work in the lives of these people here in India is stunningly evident, and increasingly magnified when in juxtaposition with those who do not have that faith. To an unbeliever this conclusion must seem biased, and admittedly I’m sure there is some in my perspective. But the alignment between scripture’s promises for a “hope and a future”, “rest for the weary” and “abundant life” are hard to ignore when so plainly manifested in the lives of these people. Truly, the Light of the World is glowing behind the eyes of those who have put their faith in Christ.

"The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light." (Matthew 6:22)