I've already commented on this phrase in Kwatersaur, but here goes again:
The Pharisees wanted the (once) blind man to condemn Jesus, but he stuck to his experience (We like to think he became one of the Lord's disciples at that point).
What happened to him happened to me, and that became the basis of my faith.
Of course blindness here is not the material, sense based affair; rather it's the blindness that the Bible speaks of constantly throughout it's length: "you have eyes to see, but you don't see" (rough paraphrase of Isaiah), etc.
I encounter (spiritually) blind people all over, virtually wherever I go. Perhaps I too am still blind-- to some extent. Jesus touched one man twice; the first time he saw trees walking. Maybe I, too, need a second touch. Maybe we all do. PTL
2 comments:
I was considering the phrase ‘spiritually blind people’ and how you say that perhaps you, too are still blind to some extent. Maybe spiritual blindness is not simply a matter of being able to see or not, as in black or white, you see or you do not see. Perhaps it is a continuum of sorts, and that we move back and forth on this continuum, day to day, experience to experience. As little children, we may have some of this vision. Perhaps we lose it, and are blinded as we grow in experience, in our thinking minds. This does not mean that we will always be blind. When we are somehow touched (poetically) we finally begin to see the light filtering in. When we nurture this vision the light becomes brighter, our vision becomes clearer and our comprehension deepens. But if we do not, and we dwell in dark places, we lose this vision, forgetting what this light is. Spiritual vision is a capacity in all of us. How clearly and how deeply are we able to see at this time in our experience? Where is the ‘end’ of this continuum? Is anyone there? Perhaps Jesus, himself.
What you say is so true, Meredith. Years ago I had an experience that illustrates it well.
I was on a retreat with a group of ministers-- a really mountain top experience for me because I had found deep sharing so rare for so long. I was truly caught up in the Spirit.
I went home to find that my favorite (recovering) alcoholic had relapsed badly and was acting like the typical crooked criminal.
As I put it then, the Spirit deserted me completely. I resorted to all the fearful, stupid reactions that people tend to have under those circumstances.
We have moments when seeing seems so easy, and other moments when it seems extraordinarily difficult.
Thanks for your comment.
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