John 9:1-41
In this story of the blind man we have people trying to afix blame to someone or something for his blindness. Then the story switches to blaming the healer as something bad and sinful for curing it. Because it must have been something bad and this should remain. Right?
These days with the corona virus infecting not only our selves, friends, families, but our lives, fears, anxiety means we would love to blame something. When this ends we may still try and seek blame. This is life though. Troubles come our way and none of it can be explained. There are no easy answers.
In seminary we call this theodicy, why do bad things happen to anyone? Why does God allow it? If God loves us why? There is no answer. There is a whole book based on this question, it's called Job and there are no answers found there. This is life, our responsibility is our response to these bad times. Are we hoarding so that there are shortages for others in the stores? Are we reaching out to our neighbor to make sure they don't need anything, or are we hunkered down and not watching? Are we doing what we can to bring the brightness of the day to others, posting helpful inspiring things on Facebook?
There is so much we can choose to see if we just take the time. This is the point of this blind man's story. The Pharisees get so caught up in not seeing the miracle and accepting it they loose their sight of who is standing in front of them. So caught up in seeing the wrongness they call in the man, his parents, and then the man again. John's gospel gives us these wonderful stories of people who can see Jesus and those who cannot.
Where do we see Jesus now? Where are the little acts of inspiration which can save us from our anxiety and hurt? Where is Jesus walking with us? All of these will be most helpful in the days to come. They will shape our time through this valley of the shadow of death. When we come through this we all will have been touched. It's how we choose to see this time, do we see Jesus with us, or have we lost our sight altogether?
In this story of the blind man we have people trying to afix blame to someone or something for his blindness. Then the story switches to blaming the healer as something bad and sinful for curing it. Because it must have been something bad and this should remain. Right?
These days with the corona virus infecting not only our selves, friends, families, but our lives, fears, anxiety means we would love to blame something. When this ends we may still try and seek blame. This is life though. Troubles come our way and none of it can be explained. There are no easy answers.
In seminary we call this theodicy, why do bad things happen to anyone? Why does God allow it? If God loves us why? There is no answer. There is a whole book based on this question, it's called Job and there are no answers found there. This is life, our responsibility is our response to these bad times. Are we hoarding so that there are shortages for others in the stores? Are we reaching out to our neighbor to make sure they don't need anything, or are we hunkered down and not watching? Are we doing what we can to bring the brightness of the day to others, posting helpful inspiring things on Facebook?
There is so much we can choose to see if we just take the time. This is the point of this blind man's story. The Pharisees get so caught up in not seeing the miracle and accepting it they loose their sight of who is standing in front of them. So caught up in seeing the wrongness they call in the man, his parents, and then the man again. John's gospel gives us these wonderful stories of people who can see Jesus and those who cannot.
Where do we see Jesus now? Where are the little acts of inspiration which can save us from our anxiety and hurt? Where is Jesus walking with us? All of these will be most helpful in the days to come. They will shape our time through this valley of the shadow of death. When we come through this we all will have been touched. It's how we choose to see this time, do we see Jesus with us, or have we lost our sight altogether?
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