Contemplations
Everything seen begins in a place that was first unseen. When a pilot cannot see the horizon because of low visibility, he or she doesn’t assume that the horizon has disappeared. Marianne Williamson
There is a biblical story in the second Book of Kings of the Israelite prophet, Elisha, and his servant. The King of Aram sends his army to Dothan to capture Elisha because he was the King of Israel’s spiritual and military adviser. The Aramean army surrounds the city, and Elisha’s servant is terrified when he sees them. He asks Elisha, “My lord! What shall we do?” Elisha is unmoved and tells him not to be afraid because “those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Elisha then prays, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.”
The Lord opens the servant’s eyes, and he sees the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. Because of Elisha’s divine protection, the Aramean army would be captured and eventually released unharmed to their King.
Elisha was confident because he could see what his servant couldn’t. But once his servant saw, his fears melted away. It is easy to get misled by what we can physically see, but just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
I know the Elisha story is spiritual, but consider this: until the invention of the microscope, most people were unaware of the hidden world of microbes because they couldn’t see it with their natural eyes. The fact that they couldn’t see it didn’t stop the microbes from existing. Only when the right tool was invented to help us ‘see’ did humans appreciate that things were lurking in the background.
The same applies to our solar system. The invention of the telescope enabled us to ‘see’ stars in the sky that the human eye couldn’t detect, which we gave names to. Those stars have always been there, irrespective of whether we could see them or not. The availability of the right physical tools or mental frameworks is what allows us to see what is hidden in plain sight. We, just like Elisha’s servant, need our eyes to be opened so that we may ‘see’ what we are missing..
Consumptions
📺 (TV Show)
Étoile – I watched Étoile, a French-American TV series on Amazon Prime. It offers a unique glimpse into the intense world of ballet, something I hadn’t explored before. The show’s dual settings – an ambitious American theatre and a prestigious French ballet company – provide a rich cultural contrast. This interplay keeps the narrative engaging. Cheyenne Toussaint, played by Lou de Laâge, stands out with her bold performance. The supporting cast also adds depth, especially in how they navigate the challenges of the ballet world. The pacing and tone effectively capture the high-stakes nature of ballet while weaving in moments of comedy.. Watching the gruelling ballet rehearsals and stunning performances provided a deeper appreciation for the art form.
