To the Christian, living life is analogous to using lenses. We live it as God envisioned it for us. Take the bifocal lenses for instance, they have an upper lens that improves our distance vision and a lower lens that supports close vision and reading. One must effectively negotiate the two lenses for better results and use. Progressive lenses, however, sharply blend the two lenses so well that it eliminates any disruption in sight when one looks at the distance and then at something up close. The smooth transition back and forth from the head down to the head up, including the space in the middle, supports better sight. From the readings for this weekend, we notice the place of the lens analogy in effective Christian living; it requires fostering progressive lenses– combining in real time service to God and living our daily lives. The Christian must negotiate the two dimensions of our purpose on earth to give no room for disruptions. Consider Joshua’s challenge to the Israelites as they arrived at the promised land to begin their lives. In the earlier verses in the same chapter 24, Joshua had recounted to the people God’s ubiquitous presence to them from the time of the patriarchs till that very moment. He then impressed it on the people to blend the worship of God with their daily duties. For laboring on the land and raising children are not isolated from worshipping God; however, they blend. “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord,” Joshua intimated. Think about it, if our work, family life, and all the daily endeavors ahead of us were meant to lead us away from God, then why will He put these at our disposal? Indeed, how God wants us to live life is that as He takes care of us, and our work flourishes, and confidence in ourselves grows, our spiritual “companionship” with God and the church should become increasingly more fruitful. There is another great lesson in the gospel that clarifies the point above. Notice how a cross section of Jesus’ disciples truncated their companionship with him and “returned to their former way of life.” All of us are living life like wearing lenses. These lenses constitute everything that happens to us in our lives, and we see and judge the world through the lenses of our glasses. Nevertheless, over time, our lenses get dirty, cracked, scratched, smudged, so that we may need to change our prescription completely or readjust the lenses of glasses. This calls for spiritual guidance, wisdom, and graces from the sacraments and the word of God to clean up our lenses or change them to improve our sight. I think that is what Peter meant when he said: “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” That is what it means to cultivate progressive lenses for living life as God envisioned it for us. Are your activities, work, life, and family needs becoming your excuses, or as Joshua puts it, the “gods ...beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites” stopping you from serving God? You are meant to blend living your life with honoring God.