You Are Already Looking Through Something

In the 3rd century BC, Aristarchus of Samos wrote a book suggesting that the Earth rotates on its axis and revolves around the Sun (Heliocentrism). Extant writings of Aristarchus don’t exist. But we have a reference to his work in the writings of Archimedes in The Sand Reckoner. Aristarchus’ theory was a radical departure from the common view of his time. Aristarchus’ proposal was based on geometric reasoning about the relative sizes and distances of the Sun and Moon, which led him to conclude that the Sun was far larger than the Earth and therefore more fitting as the center.

Aristotle, who lived a generation before Aristarchus of Samos, championed a model of the universe which placed Earth as the motionless center of the universe (Geocentrism). Aristotle’s conclusions were primarily based on philosophical and theological reasoning. Early astronomers developed mathematical models to support Aristotle's position. Ptolemy, about 400 – 450 years later, codified geocentrism into a mathematically powerful system that aligned with prevailing philosophy and observation.

Most ancient astronomers followed the geocentric model championed by Ptolemy, which placed Earth at the center. This model aligned with everyday observation and dominant philosophical assumptions, so it prevailed for nearly 1,400 years.

In 1543, Nicolaus Copernicus independently revived and mathematically developed heliocentrism in his work On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres. His model offered a far simpler explanation for planetary motion and eventually reshaped science, though it initially faced strong resistance.

Copernicus’ model became broadly accepted only after Isaac Newton published Principia in 1687, providing a unified physical explanation through the law of gravitation. For the first time, heliocentrism explained not just where the planets were, but why they moved as they did. Today, when you open a science book, you see the heliocentric view of the universe.

Just a quick question. Did the universe change? Did the laws of the universe change? No. What changed was humanity’s willingness to let evidence, rather than assumption, decide where the center truly was.

What you believe shapes the way you see the world. It was true in ancient times. It is true now. And, it will always be true.

In college I read a book titled The Christian Mind by Harry Blamires. One line has remained with me through the years. He described the Christian mind as one which sees all things here below in terms of God’s supremacy and earth’s transitoriness, in terms of Heaven and Hell. That sentence does not merely describe a set of beliefs. It describes a way of seeing. It suggests that the Christian does not simply attach faith to certain moments of life, but interprets all of life through the reality of God’s existence and the brevity of earthly things.

This is why repentance must be understood carefully. When Scripture calls us to repent, it is not asking for surface regret or temporary moral adjustment. The word itself speaks of a change of mind, yet in the biblical sense it means far more than reconsidering an opinion. It is the surrender of an entire interpretive framework. It is the willingness to admit that the center we assumed was fixed has been misplaced.

When Jesus began His ministry, He proclaimed, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 4:17). That announcement was not a suggestion to behave slightly better. It was a summons to see differently. The kingdom had drawn near. God’s reign was breaking into history. To repent meant to realign one’s vision with that reality. It meant allowing God’s supremacy to interpret success, suffering, ambition, fear, and hope.

Repentance, then, is not the addition of God to an already constructed life. It is the relocation of the center. It is after thinking in the truest sense. It is stepping back from the assumptions that once governed everything and yielding to a truer frame, where God is not one object among many, but the One by whom all things are measured.

The shift from geocentrism to heliocentrism was not merely a scientific correction. It was a surrender of a deeply rooted assumption. For centuries, humanity looked at the heavens and interpreted what it saw through a fixed conviction that the Earth stood motionless at the center of all things. The movements of the planets were explained within that framework, the patterns of the stars were charted to support it, and the entire system was defended with confidence. The system was defended, and the evidence filtered through what was already believed. No one was looking at the sky without a lens.

The same is true now. No one wakes up and approaches life from a neutral place. We do not evaluate marriage, money, suffering, ambition, identity, or success from an empty platform. Something already stands at the center. Something already interprets what we call good and what we call bad. Something defines what is gain or loss. Something already determines what feels threatening and what feels hopeful. We are already looking through something.

For some, self quietly occupies that place. Personal fulfillment becomes the measure of truth. If something advances my happiness, it is good. If it obstructs my desire, it must be wrong. The world arranges itself around comfort and personal expression.

For others, achievement becomes central. Worth is measured by productivity, recognition, and measurable progress. Rest feels irresponsible. Obscurity feels like failure. Identity rises and falls with performance.

For others, security governs interpretation. Decisions orbit around protection, stability, and control. Risk becomes the enemy. Surrender feels dangerous.

These centers do not announce themselves loudly. They operate quietly, like gravity. They pull every decision into orbit.

Jesus does not enter that system as an accessory. He does not ask to become one priority among several. He speaks as King. He reveals that the kingdom of God is not a distant idea but a present reality. His call to repent is a call to relinquish the throne we did not realize we were defending.

This is why repentance is deeply personal. It is not merely rethinking a doctrine. It is releasing control. It is acknowledging that the axis of our lives has been tilted toward ourselves, and that we have interpreted everything through that tilt.

The universe did not change when humanity accepted that the sun stood at the center. The order had always been there. Human understanding finally yielded to it.

In the same way, God does not move into the center when we repent. He already reigns. Repentance is the moment our vision aligns with that reign. It is the humility to admit that we have been arranging reality around the wrong reference point.

When God is not at the center, even good things become distorted. Success inflates pride. Suffering breeds despair. Relationships become transactions. Faith becomes performance. We measure everything by how it serves us.

When God stands at the center, the same experiences are reinterpreted. Success becomes stewardship. Suffering becomes refinement. Relationships become arenas of love and sacrifice. Faith becomes trust in a sovereign Father whose purposes extend beyond what we immediately see.

Nothing in the external world may change at first. The job remains demanding. The diagnosis remains serious. The culture remains confused. Yet the interpretive lens shifts. Fear loosens its grip. Urgency softens into trust. Ambition bows to obedience.

This is the beginning of a Christian worldview. It is not merely believing certain truths about God. It is seeing all things in light of His supremacy and earth’s transitoriness. It is recognizing that history is moving toward His purposes, that eternity outlasts every headline, and that our lives find meaning only in relation to Him.

You are already looking through something.

The question is not whether you have a center. The question is what occupies it.

If Christ stands at the center, then every sphere of life must come into alignment. Work, relationships, politics, pleasure, grief, money, and dreams all orbit around His authority. If something else stands there, even subtly, it will quietly shape every interpretation you make.

Jesus does not demand the center to diminish you. He calls you to Himself to restore what is disordered. When He stands where He belongs, life does not shrink. It clarifies. The noise does not always disappear, yet it no longer defines reality.

Repentance, then, is the doorway. It is the moment you step back from the assumption that you are neutral, that you are self determining, that you are self sufficient. It is the honest confession that your vision has been shaped by something less than God. It is the courageous surrender that says, “You are Lord. You define what is true. You determine what matters.”

The heavens did not rearrange themselves when humanity finally recognized their order. Our understanding did.

And the same invitation stands before us now.

Will you continue to interpret your life from the center you have assumed, or will you allow the true King to take the place He has always held?