THOUGHTS OF A MONK

Are you blind?

February 5, 2006

ARE YOU BLIND? Have you ever been blasted with that phrase? Not only can I hear those words ringing in my ears, but quite honestly, rolling off my tongue. They are usually accompanied by the thought: How it is that what one person can see so clearly, another person cannot see at all. 

• Are you blind? Can’t you see the consequences of your actions?
• Are you blind? Didn’t you see that bicycle behind the car?
• Are you blind? He was standing right next to you!
• Are you blind? The book you’re looking for is right in front of you.

These are usually moments of great frustration. As we hurl our javelins of “are you blind” at others, we may very well be muscling up our feelings of blind rage, or blind passion. And yet, our blind passions can often run right into blind stubbornness on the other side. This blindness is when our emotions and actions operate without restraint, sacrificing all other considerations. So blindness is not just about a physical condition, it may also refer to perceptions. Our “vision “can be impaired in many ways.

On Thursday, Br. David highlighted a theme of the Feast of the Encounter when he spoke about seeing Christ in those around us and in the person we see in the mirror.  He asked the question: “can we begin to chip away at that rock that is hiding our view of Christ in each other.”  Today’s Gospel lesson asks an even more fundamental question: “do we want to?” Do we really want to see the truth? Do we really want to meet Christ, face-to-face.

The Blind Man we meet today in the Gospel answered that question, yes! His is the example of a man, or person, of desire. The crowd attempts to block his way to Jesus but he is not deterred. He may not be able to see with his eyes but he perceives deeper realities than those around him who have eyes to see, but do not see. He sees because he wants to see and strives to get in touch with the one who can give him the sight he desires.

How often do we shy away from the light because we do not want to see? We may be bound up in our blind ambition, blind rage, blind passion, blind obsession, blind prejudice, you name it.  And what preconditions are we looking for before we act? The Blind Man did not say, give me sight and then I will believe. Unlike St. Thomas he did not say I have to see to believe, but rather, I believe so that I may see. The Blind Man had faith and sought out the one who could give him sight.  How often in our lives do we demand proof before we act in faith?

Rabbi Harold S. Kushner in his well-known books and articles asks the question:  “Why do bad things happen to good people?” He tells many stories about this, but one of the most compelling is the story of his son Aaron. A happy child who at 3 years of age is diagnosed with progeria, a heart-rending disease that causes a child to stop growing while aging rapidly, becoming like an old man while still a child, and then dying in teens, at 14 in this case. Rabbi Kushner and his family were crushed by this and they asked the question: Why us?  In time, they come to see the words of the Psalmist giving the answer: “my help comes from the Lord.” The words do not say, “My tragedy comes from the Lord.” It is this realization that leads him to see that God doesn’t cause the tragedy, but stands ready to help us cope with our tragedies. The Rabbi also realizes, just like the man who became blind, that no life is without pain, but we are not alone in our pain, we can draw upon a source outside ourselves for strength and courage.
           

God helps us by inspiring other people to help. And Aaron was helped by others who cared: one person gave him a scaled down tennis racket; a woman gave Aaron a small handmade violin; a friend got him a baseball autographed by the Boston Red Sox; some children overlooked his limitations to play stickball with him. To Rabbi Kushner “these people were God’s way of telling my family that we were not alone.”
           
Aaron also served God’s purpose by facing up so bravely to his illness. His example affected others. Others struggling with their own troubles saw this family’s example and drew courage from it.  Not unlike the Blind Man praising God and leading others to join him in doing the same.
           
So, Rabbi Kushner’s question is changed from “why do bad things happen to people,” to “how do we respond when such things happen.” The Blind Man asked that his sight be restored. So, presumably he had been able to see before but somehow lost his sight.  Even so, he is not shown coming to Jesus with complaints about being blind. He did not blame God or attribute his tragedy to his own sins. The Gospel is silent about all these issues because a completely different point is being made: Namely that the blind man has chosen to seek out the one who can save him. He calls for help and God’s help comes to him through Christ. In the case of Aaron Kushner’s family, the people who came to help them were bringing God’s message: that we are not alone in our suffering. Christians might express the same image by referring to Christ as the human face of God and all those who act in a Christ-like way are bringing God’s presence to bear on these struggles.
           
Sometimes we may have to break through seemingly impossible barriers. The blind man perceived the reality of the salvation he would gain through Jesus Christ even as those around him did not and thus attempted to block his access to Christ. So he broke through the crowd.