Tag: Blindness

Choose your own adventure

But Jesus heals our vision Lenten question from John #11

John 9:32-38[The formerly blind man told the Jewish leaders] “Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.” “You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue. When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.” “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!” “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.

Hmm. Deflecting a legitimate perspective by using contempt. Where have we seen that before?

My seven-year-old grandson recently received from his uncle a set of “choose your own ending” stories. My husband spent an hour with him a few nights ago exploring all the possible conclusions to one set of scary circumstances before finding the one happy ending that could allow Caleb to sleep in peace.

Shutterstock: Sarayut Sridee

I’ve written before on this blog about John 9, one of the most carefully crafted, intriguing chapters in the whole Bible with its intricate word play on the concept of blindness and vision. Since John doesn’t tell us what happened next in the formerly blind man’s life, we can imagine a number of possible outcomes of his rejection by the Jewish leaders when he naively (it seems) spoke truth to power. His vision went far beyond his new experience of physical sight.

  • Did his parents continue to reject him, to preserve their status in the synagogue?
  • Did the newly sighted man join the disciples in following Jesus around the countryside? If so, what did this lead to? Successful integration in the church birthed at Pentecost? Martyrdom? A mission to some other country?
  • What skills other than begging and dormant abilities and passions did he develop?
  • Did he meet a wonderful woman to marry and create his own family?

Hey, you could start with John 9, invent a past and a future for this man based on historical research, give him relationships with intriguing events and people and write a novel! The theme to explore: What did it mean for a man blind from birth, assumed to be paying the consequence of his own sin (in the womb??) or his parents’ to respond affirmatively to Jesus’ question: Do you believe in the Son of Man?

And what does this question mean to you today, in your circumstances, with your history, your relationships, your fears and expectations for your future? John’s entire Gospel compels our response to this question. What adventure will you choose?

Happy Juneteenth!

But God sets captives free

Luke 4:17-19 Jesus unrolled the scroll of Isaiah the prophet and found the place [Isaiah 61:1-2] where this was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” … Then Jesus began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”

On Juneteenth we celebrate the emancipation of slaves in the United States. The story of the slaves in Texas learning about this, months after it became true, will be told many times today.

Sadly, true freedom has taken—is taking—much longer to experience, because the other part mentioned by Isaiah in this passage, that Jesus applied to himself, is that the blind will see. John shows us in John 9 how many different types of blindness there are, especially of those who think they can see, those who hold power to bless others or to harm them (um, that would be each of us, right?).

My daughter Valerie teaching her kids about Juneteenth

Today, I pray that God will heal my blindness. Especially in areas where I think I can see. And I pray blessing on all those whom God is using to heal the racial wounds within the Body of Christ. Be the Bridge. Here in Pittsburgh, Sisters Celebrating Diversity. You can fill in those working for healing where you live.

My granddaughter Liliana (Rachel’s daughter) at a Juneteenth parade.

As an aside, I will mention that June 19 is an important date for me in other ways too. My beloved older brother Steve was born on June 19. It’s the day our family, the kids sweating under long sleeves and pants to cover up their chickenpox, arrived in São Paulo, Brazil in 1990. On June 19 exactly one year later we moved into the house that would be our home for nineteen more years.

And it’s the day I have before me right now, in which to rejoice in the many ways God has set me free and to pray for those who still find themselves in bondage and oppression.

For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17).

Sounds of Blackness – Juneteenth Celebration https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH3a_xtjzZg

Our God, Open the Eyes that are Blind, Chris Tomlin