Dr. T.J. Eckleburg by Rick Godley

Dr. T.J. Eckleburg By Rick Godley January 2011
You ever get the sensation that someone is watching you? Over you? Waxing nostalgic is one of my hobbies that my mind takes. Looking back, thinking back over my life I can now see clearer the Hand of God and the Eyes of Our Father, when at the time I didn’t have a clue. Praise Him Halleluyah!
The analogy I tell folks prior to ‘my personal Scriptural enlightenment from The Creator of the Universe’ is like an airplane flying around in the dark. When the plane makes its decent to the runway, what happens? The blue lights come on thereby illuminating the runway to direct the plane to a safe landing. Now at age 55, I can see the blue lights of my past that Our Father was trying to guide me in for a safe landing. I bet you have plenty of those moments/incidents if you stop to think about it. One day remind me to tell you about the Viet Nam war protest in New York City in 1973, when there were over 5,000+ anti war veterans in the streets, and one ‘Jesus Freak’ pull me over to talk Jesus with me….(Blue Light, Rick, come in for a landing) When he told me about Jesus, I truly did feel ‘something’ inside, yet, I opted for anger in the streets that day.
Recently another Blue light went off in my mind. Back around the same year, I read and watched the movie, ‘The Great Gatsby’. Basically it’s a pretty depressing novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. However there was one character in the book and the movie that never left me. ‘Dr. T.J. Eckleburg’
Dr. Eckleburg didn’t run with the East Egg folks on Long Island, not make the big parties, nor gallivant into New York City with the other gadfly’s. We are introduced to Dr. T.J. Eckleburg in the second chapter this way, ‘But above the gray land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it, you perceive, after a moment, the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg are blue and gigantic-their retinas are one yard high. They look out of no face, but instead, from a pair of enormous yellow spectacles which pass over a non-existent nose…. But his eyes, brood on over the solemn dumping ground. The valley of ashes is bounded on one side by a small foul river… (1)
Dr. T.J. Eckleburg is a billboard for an oculist overlooking a garbage dump in Queens. In a couple of more paragraphs, Fitzgerald describes him this way as ‘under Doctor Eckleburg persistent stare.’
Now I ask you: why Our Father would allow this fictional character to make such an impression on me that I would never ever forget Dr. T.J. Eckleburg? To the extent I would bring his name up along the way since 1974 and folks would say ‘Who?’ (Blue Light, Rick, Land here!)
I now know why. Many years ago, someone wise than me told me to read one Proverb a day, since there were 31 of them, and you’ll know the wisdom of The Creator, and if you want to know the Heart of the Father, read what the man after God’s own heart (David) wrote! Since he wrote most of the Psalms, and they’re 150 of them, read 5 a day. Then after a month, cycle back around and do it again. I ask you, what discipline you have to show yourself a work man or woman, approved unto God, rightly dividing His Word? You better get a discipline or else you’re wasting time and not redeeming it!
Well, guess what? I found out who is watching over you and me! And it’s not in an allegorical billboard called Dr. T. J. Eckleburg! ( A note to readers, I will not list chapter and verse from Scriptures, if you want their references, e mail me and I’d be happy to share them). A quick perusal through my Proverbs, and you’ll see a funny pair of eyes and eyeglasses crudely drawn by me or initials such as Dr. T.J. ‘For the ways of a man are before the eyes of YHWH and He watches all his cycles of Life.’ ‘The eyes of The Creator in every place, watching the evil and the good.’ Every place means every place! ‘The eyes of YHWH preserve knowledge but He overthrows the words of the treacherous man.’
Some in Psalms, ‘The eyes of The Lord are toward the righteous and His ears are open to their cry.’ How does He define Righteous? ‘Behold the eye of the LORD is on those who Fear Him.’ How can we say we need to have the fear of the Lord restored when we never even know where the concept comes from? ‘He who planted the ear, does He not hear? He who formed the eye does He not see?’ Guess that throws the ‘theory’ of evolution out the window.’
Finally one of my favorites that also has stuck with me since I began to study His Word. ‘For the eyes of YHWH run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect towards Him.’ Re-read that one. Yah is actually looking for someone back and forth He runs his eyes to see if there is someone here on this earth whose heart is perfect towards Him so that He might show up and show out! What a concept!
Now you get the gist of the article. We are being watched over, and it’s not by a lifeless billboard in a fictional novel called Dr. T.J. Eckleburg who by the way watched over a gehenna like garbage dump and a lot of death and debauchery. Prophetic for us in this hour?
Do some serious searching of yourself and His Word, get the red out and read it. Show yourself to be a workman approved unto Him rightly dividing His Words. What blue lights of your past come to mind now that you’ve read this article? I’d love to hear your story and share with others. We all know His eye is on the sparrow yet sometimes, we think He forgets about us and can’t find us.
He knows, rest assured, He knows. Make His eyes smile and glisten with obedience.