Spiritual Sight – by Ed Dunn
Friend and Partner Letter from June 2025:
For we live by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Many of you have graciously asked me through your cards, letters, emails and phone calls about my eyesight condition and how I am doing here at PTM. I always appreciate the question, and your deep care behind the question, and so, I would like to take some time to give you an update.
You may recall, I have written previously of my eyesight condition in Plain Truth magazine articles and columns, and also on our website, www.ptm.org, through various blog posts. I suffer from a rare form of macular degeneration known as Stargardt’s Disease. This eyesight condition, which I have lived with since my early days at college, affects my retina, and has left me to do all that I do with only the use of my peripheral vision. At this point, I have no central vision remaining. The result of this eyesight condition is that I haven’t been able to drive for nearly forty years. And, I sit pretty-close to whatever it is I am working on at my desk day-to-day.
The good news for me is that my vision loss has stabilized, and there will be no further deterioration due to the Stargardt’s. Peripheral vision is by far the larger field of vision, and central vision, although more acute, is far smaller. Any further challenges I may face with my eyesight have more to do with life’s wear-and-tear, with aging, such as we all face as we grow older.
I use visual aids and good lighting, as well as public transportation (trains, Uber, friends and family) to get around. I get lots of walking in, which is excellent for my heart health. The bottom-line is that I am truly grateful; I have an eye condition that connects me with people, one I can use to give encouragement and comfort. Yet, I am able to get around quite well and do all that I need to do with a relative ease. I am quite fortunate.
The opportunity to give an update on my physical sight has me thinking about the topic of spiritual sight as we follow Christ Jesus. The Apostle Paul writes in his second letter to the Corinthians, for we live by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7, NIV). Many translations read, for we walk by faith, not by sight. This verse is a favorite of many Christ-followers, and would surely make any list of most quoted passages.
What does it mean to live (or walk) by faith and not by sight?
As Christ-followers, we believe that faith and spiritual sight have much to do with one another. First and foremost, whose faith are we talking about? Whose spiritual sight do we live by? We believe and trust that it is Christ Jesus who lives within us. He indwells us, resides with us, transforms us, and gives us his gift of faith, and his gift of spiritual sight. The spiritual sight that we live by as we walk with him, the sight we enjoy that is far beyond physical sight, comes from him. His gift helps us to see life in new ways.
Christ Jesus helps us to see life differently. His spiritual sight within us helps us to be present, to let go of deeply engrained preoccupations with regrets from the past and anxieties about the future. His spiritual sight in us helps us to perceive our world, our circumstance and life events, other Christ-followers, and the people around us, in general, in a new way.
We begin to see all with compassion and patience; as we yield, we begin to see with fresh insight and understanding. This new sight starts with seeing the truth of our own humanity, and then extends to those around us. Those who are also so human. We begin to see other people as us and no longer as them.
In this fine summer month of June, we find ourselves in the thick of a brand-new major league baseball season. We are baseball fans here at PTM, and I would have to say, to a person, we throw our support behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, at least those of us who live and work here in the Pasadena/Los Angeles area. One of my favorite movies set within the culture of major league baseball is the movie, “42.” The film “42” is the story of Jackie Robinson, a black baseball player, who was the first of his race to enter and play at the major league level.
Jackie Robinson, a uniquely gifted talent from his college days at UCLA, found breaking into the establishment of an all-white professional sport to be an incredibly long and painful experience. At the time, few team owners, managers, and major league-level players were open to integration. The process of racial barrier change was an ugly business. Jackie Robinson bore the scars.
In his early days playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Jackie Robinson made a friend named Wendell Smith. Wendell Smith, a black man himself, covered Jackie’s story for the big city newspaper, The Pittsburgh Courier. Having broken into a world that had previously been closed to any person of color, Wendell Smith took a personal and particular interest in Jackie’s career, and served as a wise counselor to Jackie as the two moved into a challenging new world together.
Jackie Robinson had an ability to slow the pitch down in his mind as it traveled from the pitcher’s hand to the catcher’s mitt. In slowing the pitch down, Jackie had the time to see the baseball more clearly, and to make the necessary adjustments to get his bat on the ball. It was as if Jackie could slow time between the pitcher’s mound and home plate. The result of this special ability is reflected in the batting statistics we celebrate to this day.
One day, in the face of extremely harsh and racist taunts from the opposing team and their fans, Jackie’s friend, the reporter Wendell Smith, encouraged Jackie to use his special ability in a new way. Jackie, he said, slow the pitch down. What Wendell Smith meant in the context of this encouragement was, when faced with an ugly taunt, a racist remark, or a criticism that is thrown at you to evoke an angry reaction, slow the ugly taunt, racist remark, or criticism down in your mind. In so doing, in slowing the pitch (the taunt, remark, or criticism), Jackie could give himself the time he needed to adjust, and to react differently. In that brief space of nonreaction, Jackie could absorb the hurt and anger. He could rise above the ugliness and the pain of the moment and respond in a new way.
As Christ-followers, there is much in our world today that can evoke an angry or a hurt response. Harsh words can be thrown at us; words that feel like (or are) hurtful taunts, ugly remarks, or unfair criticisms. We can react strongly to events and circumstance, challenges and difficulties, or to other people in ways we may later regret. Even if we are in the right, still, we can respond in a way that is less than ideal. We can react in a way that is based on how we see with our physical sight. Spiritual sight, as a gift from God, can give us that special ability to slow the pitch down. Spiritual sight can give us the time we need to make an adjustment, and to react to the difficulties of life in a different way.
What does it mean to live (or walk) by faith and not by sight?
We trust. We trust in Christ Jesus to see us through. We trust that no matter what harsh realities, circumstances, or events we may face, he walks with us through all of it. Jesus never leaves nor forsakes us.
We Yield. We remember that it is Christ Jesus who lives in us and transforms us. Yes, we let, allow, yield, and participate in the work he is doing, but we never lose sight of the fact that he is the one who gives us the gift of faith, the gift of spiritual sight. Jesus completes us for his good pleasure.
We walk. We walk with him, each day, which means we keep going even when life is tough. We remain aware that although we may feel as if we are alone at times, we are never left alone. We live in a community of Christ-followers, and in a communion with Christ Jesus. We give thanks that Jesus helps us with each step along the way.
Your brother in Christ,
Ed Dunn
VP and CEO
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