...was blind, but now I see? St. Exupery?

Physically one's eyesight tends toward farsightedness (presby-opia) around 49-51 years old. Socially, too, one's vision tends to lose some of the close-up powers of focus. But there is some compensation for weaker acuity that comes from stronger vision of the whole - the ability to see a few steps ahead in the game, or possibly years into the future course of events. Perhaps this same shift in vision also occurs in spiritual maturity?
     One of the piercing statements in the dialog between The Little Prince and his Fox comes around page 40 of the paperback edition in which we read,

It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.
 or on ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux. [Ch. 21]

or But the eyes are blind. One must look with the heart
    Mais les yeux sont aveugles. Il faut chercher avec le cœur. [Ch. 25]

Back when John Newton set his words to a familiar melody to give us Amazing Grace, the meaning seemed clear enough: he was lost and foundering in a sea of Worldly pressures, assumptions, depravities, and cruelty. And yet, by God's grace, all that washed away to give him a new vision; fresh eyes. He gave up his post as slave ship captain. Along with heightened perception -seeing what was overlooked before, there comes a certain illumination that is cast from one's growing faith; the idea that even without (visual) certainty one may proceed, know there is meaning and value and worth in the steps one takes and the aspirations one reaches toward.
     And so, as I venture further along the faith road, my appetite for knowing and hunger for wisdom continue to be health. But at the same time, I see more and more that was is essential cannot be known in one's head, or possibly even in one's hands or actions. What matters most is the shape taken by your heart in the transformation from savvy consumer to vigilant seeker of God on Earth. In other words, weaker vision and less insistent knowing seems to go with age, but it also seems to go with deeper faith; guided not by light alone, but by one's heart.

2 Thessalonians - bringing it back to life

Men's Bible study today wrapped up Paul's letter to the new Christians he met and led for 3 weeks in Thessalonika so many generations ago (if 500 years is about 20 generations, then 2000 years ago is about 80 generations ago). Coming off the street in the predawn darkness of November to the warm light and the hot coffee of the table, my mind needed some warming up to the Word of God. Two different angles appeared before me to relate 2015 to long ago Thessalonika. One is an organic or physical identification: the ground on which these conversations and events took place can be visited on Internet satellite views or traveled to by jet today. And very possibly some of the people present back then have descendants still living in the vicinity today, either those Paul and Timothy worked with, or the descendants of the synagogue(s) that listened and finally ejected him, or those neither following nor chasing him away. That is one way to trace a line from then to now -in physical, literal, material terms.

Another way is social and organizational: the smooth lines of NIV printed text, complete with signposts of chapters and verses, neatly roll in continuous stream across the paper and come with convenient page numbers, Table of Content, and thematic subheadings give the impression to modern readers that Paul's Letters were composed, delivered, and received in a direct, unambiguous, and impactful way. Things like nit-picking, back-biting, personality clashes and maneuvering for higher status to one's peer reference group, or other 'politicking' are imagined to be absent from the written communications from Paul to his brothers and sisters in Christ. But by injecting these foibles and petty human features of social interaction to the process, then these letters come to life a little more like things today.