(John 9: 1-41)
... People still judge others by appearances. For the man born blind, he lived not only in the darkness of his physical disability, but in the darkness of sin. He lived in a time and understanding that our actions have a direct karmic impact upon what the events of our life. So this man, or his parents, must have sinned terribly for this punishment to be wrought upon him before he was even born.
That’s a label that he had to carry for his entire life. Until the day he met Jesus, “Here’s mud in your eye!” and he after washing in the pool of Siloam, he could see. For the very first time. After a life of darkness, he is thrust into the light. An entire sector of his brain that had not been used suddenly has to convert lightwaves and nerve impulses into a coherent visual picture for someone who never had processed information that way.
I would imagine that would be terrifying as much as it would be wonderful. What is the saddest part of the man’s healing is the fact that he couldn’t share it with anyone. His own parents didn’t want to be part of it. His neighbours didn’t believe it. His faith community feared it and expelled him.
Jesus, as a healer and teacher, continues in his tradition of turning things upside down. He uplifts the downtrodden, seeking out those whom society rejects; he shakes our foundational understandings and raises more questions than answers. Douglas Adams in his book The Restaurant at the End of the Universe begins with: “There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another which states that this has already happened.”
Back on topic, we are challenged and called by our faith to see things anew. Christ asserts that those who are certain that they see the truth are the ones who are stuck in sin. It is true that we can never be so self-assured to claim that we have the right way. By admitting and embracing our blind spots, we open the door to greater truths. Even if it confuses the heck out of us.
At this point, some volunteers who had been blindfolded for most the service, shared their experience to lose (and regain) their vision. What was that experience like? How did you feel? Is there anything you’ll do differently because of the experience?
- understanding how much we rely on our vision
- noted how much more we'd rely on our other senses
- while there was a sense of missing out on a lot of information, it was also relaxing too - less distractions
- committed to appreciate our sight more - seeing our family and friends, watching sunrises and sunsets, using safety glasses to protect our eyes
What are the answers right in front of our eyes that we have yet to see? We fret and fuss about the future of the church, more specifically, this particular congregation (and maybe our partner church in this pastoral charge). What vision awaits us? What do we see? A full church? Who’s in this church? Picture them. From the Stats Canada census, there are Appin: 1118 (29%) / Trinity: 1220 (28%) people who say they’re United Church within 10 minutes of this very spot. Is it as easy as seeing the forest for the trees?
Jesus concludes his lesson to the Pharisees by talking about their sin. Belief in their own views to the exclusion of all others, setting their sights on unimportant matters of faith and life, made them lose sight of God’s purpose and plan for humanity. We all are guilty of this. Which is why we have the liberating and inclusive message of love that Christ brought to earth.
We won’t be able to see into the heart of matters the way God does. But we don’t have to. Our Lenten journey towards Easter reminds us that we just need to look to Christ, to see his presence around and within us. Truly, we are not alone. Thanks be to God.
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