Hello
What does real sight look like? In today’s Holy Nougat, we are met with a snippet of the story of a man born blind.
““It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.” John 9:3 NLT
Can we sit with this one for a minute please – there was a man, born without the ability to physically see. Yet upon seeing him, the disciples revealed their lack of sight. All they could see was the man’s disability, and then, it was with condemnation, not compassion. Was it his parents’ sins, a generational curse or something else that led to his blindness, they wondered. And in their curiosity they might have hoped Jesus would heal him; but they began with judgement.
How often have we failed to ‘see’ another because of their visible or perceived disability? Have we in the process dismissed them or cast judgement on them? At this point, they were not sure Jesus would heal him. What if Jesus chose not to?
In our own contexts many of us are challenged with responding to persons with disabilities in our places of worship. We might be conflicted about their apparent lack of healing – Do we condemn them, determine that they/we didn’t pray hard enough, or make an effort to treat them with the dignity they deserve? Could the revelation of God’s power is possible through a person with disabilities, even if they are not healed?
Could it?
Perhaps the first act of healing required is for our own mindsets, that we might recognize and affirm the dignity of another. Regardless of our perception of their abilities. And that may be all the healing needed. We continue to pray for God’s mercy and intervention as we affirm the value of those with visible disabilities.
May God’s glory be revealed by our actions rather than our assumptions.
In Christ’s love and grace . . .
