Chaplain’s Corner by Rev. Fr. Kenneth Chukwu
This is a species of cock-eyed squid, whose scientific name, Histioteuthis heteropsis, means “different eyes.” - ScienceFriday.com
Discerning the Signs of the Times — Learning from the Cockeyed Squid
Scientific documentaries have been produced about the cockeyed squid that lives in the ocean’s “twilight zone” where sunlight barely penetrates through the deep water. This species was nicknamed “cockeyed squid” because it has two extremely different eyes: the left eye develops over time to become considerably larger than the right eye and almost as twice as big as the right one. Scientists studying this mollusk have deduced that the squid uses its right eye, the smaller one, to look down into the darker depths. The larger, left eye, gazes upward, toward the sunlight. This ocular configuration enables the squid to look up and down at the same time and be able to discern food and danger accurately.
The life of the cockeyed squid provides some insight into some spiritual practices that the Scriptures admonishe us to practice. Jesus taught us that we are in the world, but not of the world (John 15:18-19). St. Paul explained this by advising us that we should not be conformed to this world but set our minds on things above and be transformed by the renewal of our minds, so that we may discern what the will of God is, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2 & Colossians 3:2-3).
As earth-dwellers waiting for the time when the Lord will call us to heaven, just like the cockeyed squid, we keep an eye trained on what’s happening around us in our present reality. But just as the squid’s left eye develops over time into one that’s larger, and more sensitive to what’s happening overhead, we too can grow in our awareness of the ways God is asking us to respond to what is happening in our world with focused reference to the spiritual realm. As we look at our world experiencing current multiple crises which are signs of the times calling for a change in this era, we may need to begin to ask what the Lord is telling and revealing to us as his disciples and its implications for reform. The way we must respond will be by listening carefully and weighing every motive of ours according to the gospel criteria. This means that we need to ask the question: is what I see and hear, and respond to, in accord with living the gospel values? Placing Christ at the center, and not us, will be the beginning of this discernment of the signs of our times. To enable us to start on the discernment of the signs of the times, I would recommend that we read, and review Pope Francis book titled: “Let Us Dream” written in collaboration with his biographer, Austen Ivereigh. As the world begins to return to what we call the new normal after the Pandemic, Pope Francis invites us in “Let Us Dream” to explore and discern what this crisis can teach us about how to handle upheaval of any kind in our own lives and the world at large. This is what is symbolized by the imagery of the cockeyed squid in which we are invited to look down and look up. May we all be led to God’s will as we discern the signs of the times and what the Lord is asking of us at this time.
Fr. Ken is the former Chaplain of K of C, Van Nuys Council 3148