Isn’t it interesting how powerful eye contact is?

Whether we’re sitting across the table from someone, or walking past a stranger at the mall, or even glancing over toward the driver in the next lane at the stop light…there’s something about us that isn’t satisfied with cutting our gaze short at a person’s nose, chin or shoes.

Whether it’s from two feet or 200 yards away–whether that person is dancing, performing a card trick or about to crash into us at the ice-skating rink, it’s in our design to ultimately search for even a flash of communion with those M&M-sized pupils. Inherently, we won’t stop looking until ours find theirs.

It’s not always a comfortable feeling, either. Sometimes, we’ll resist the urge to make eye contact altogether for fear of what kind of emotional response that connection would/could make. More often, we’re so consumed with the screen(s) or whatever task in front of us, that we straight-up miss the opportunities to connect, completely unaware.

But it’s a part of the human condition to connect through our eyes. Usually, we do it without even thinking about it. Whether or not we realize what we’re doing–and whether or not it it’s intentional–eye contact is one of the most validating components of humanity. It’s offering a part of myself–my joy, sadness, hope, frustration..and ALL of my attention–in exchange for a part of someone else.

So simple. So meaningful.

“I long to see you, so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong–that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.” – Romans 1:11 (NIV)