This past summer I saw the oddest thing. I was outside working in the front yard. When I looked up I saw a cat. On its head was a bottle. I could see that if it did not get the bottle off, it would not be able to drink or eat. It was hot outside and the cat would surely die. I tried to call to it but it was pretty skittish and would not come to me. I'm not sure that it would have let me help it even if I could have approached it. It stared at me for a minute or two before it ran off, away from the help that I offered.
Sometimes I think we tend to look at life as though we had a bottle on our head. There are many things that lure us into such a vantage point: good looks, popularity, money and even things that appeal to our senses. These things often entice us and lure us into their trap with the promise of something we perceive ourselves to be lacking. But with a bottle on our head (the obsession with what put it there) we cannot see clearly, our vision is distorted. The way we see others is lacking. Sometimes they are completely unaware of our distorted views. Other times our views cause gossip and criticism, hurting hearts and breaking once strong bonds. Whether others are affected or not, if we have a bottle on our heads, we are at risk of spiritual harm. Just as the cat could not eat or drink, if we choose not to give or receive love, we become spiritually malnourished, which then causes self-centeredness, intolerance, and a constant belief that others are displeased with us. The only way to ever begin to feel their love and acceptance again, is to remove the bottle.
This story has a happy ending. A few days later we saw this same cat, which I would have thought wouldn't have lasted that long, however, the cat was smart enough to get it's head OUT of the bottle. That is our challenge as well. May we all strive to see others clearly, from the viewpoint of love. It is wonderful to have a heart filled with love.
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