07-27-2008, 12:00 AM
"Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.
But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man."
I have always thought that these verses refer to the ability to see what mankind harbors behind the flesh. Just beneath the physical and psychic parts of
ourselves. "..he knew all men.." and "..he knew what was in man."
We all have this ability to one extent or another, really, but do not wish to admit it to ourselves.
As a young boy, having grown up with a father who was an alcoholic, I noticed at some point in time that my father was different at times. Not just a mood or
different behavior, but a different person. A certain animal-like glaze would cover the sheen of his eyes and he would act like someone else. Sometimes I refer
to that glaze as "no one's home." It was as if I had two fathers and I would only have to look in his eyes as he came up the driveway to know
which one came home that evening.
But my terminology is not quite correct.
I also saw his eyes after he died. For some reason unknown to me, or perhaps for my benefit, the hospital staff failed to close his eyes before calling my
family to view his body. That was indeed the look of "no one's home." There is no mistaking the look of death. There is no need to take a pulse.
It is something completely different in appearance than life.
But the glazed look that I related to his drinking I have seen many times in many different people. Other alcoholics, videos of shaman while practicing their
magic and practitioners of voodoo while in their trances. This glaze in the eyes has always told me that indeed someone or something IS home, but that they are
not the rightful tenants.
Seeing is a feeling and it is written in peoples faces. We have all experienced this faculty to one degree or another.
We can ignore it, run from it as I think most people do. Or we can pay closer attention to it, and in so doing, encourage this faculty to grow.
But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man."
I have always thought that these verses refer to the ability to see what mankind harbors behind the flesh. Just beneath the physical and psychic parts of
ourselves. "..he knew all men.." and "..he knew what was in man."
We all have this ability to one extent or another, really, but do not wish to admit it to ourselves.
As a young boy, having grown up with a father who was an alcoholic, I noticed at some point in time that my father was different at times. Not just a mood or
different behavior, but a different person. A certain animal-like glaze would cover the sheen of his eyes and he would act like someone else. Sometimes I refer
to that glaze as "no one's home." It was as if I had two fathers and I would only have to look in his eyes as he came up the driveway to know
which one came home that evening.
But my terminology is not quite correct.
I also saw his eyes after he died. For some reason unknown to me, or perhaps for my benefit, the hospital staff failed to close his eyes before calling my
family to view his body. That was indeed the look of "no one's home." There is no mistaking the look of death. There is no need to take a pulse.
It is something completely different in appearance than life.
But the glazed look that I related to his drinking I have seen many times in many different people. Other alcoholics, videos of shaman while practicing their
magic and practitioners of voodoo while in their trances. This glaze in the eyes has always told me that indeed someone or something IS home, but that they are
not the rightful tenants.
Seeing is a feeling and it is written in peoples faces. We have all experienced this faculty to one degree or another.
We can ignore it, run from it as I think most people do. Or we can pay closer attention to it, and in so doing, encourage this faculty to grow.

