Advantages of Blindness (2020-03-22, Sunday-04)

2020-03-22  – 4^th Sunday LENT

__ 1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a __ Psalm 23 __  Ephesians 5:8-14 _ + John 9:1-41 _

[_01_]    The blind. A blind person. Have you ever met a blind physician, a blind doctor? I have not, actually, but read an article recently about a medical doctor Dr. Tim Cordes – who is blind – one who has done all the hospital / clinical rotations, including surgery, anesthesia, labor and delivery, and pediatrics, and many more.

          As a blind person, he does require some assistance to get around, both the cane and the “canine”. After one appointment for a small child accompanied by his father for a pediatric appointment, the child asked the father. OK, Dad, but what was the dog in the doctor's office for ?

          The child, more than adults, saw the ability  and was rather blind to the the disability.  Blindness is good news.

(Source: https://www.nfb.org/sites/www.nfb.org/files/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm10/bm1010/bm101008.htm )

[_02_]     We read about the healing of the man born blind (John 9:1-41). And I would like to use some of the experiences of this particular physician and medical doctor –who is blind – as an example.

          We might say that the Jesus also is “blind” – in  a good way – in the Gospel today.

          That is, Jesus is blind and undeterred by the disdain of the Pharisees. Jesus is reminding the “sighted” that it would be better if they were blind. Thus, the would depend more on their inner senses and on God’s power rather than on that they believe than what they can see and oversee themselves.

[_03_]    On one of his first morning classes of medical school, Dr. Tim Cordes was in the lab, doing what medical students do with cadavers, human corpses and examination of real human anatomy.

          After this first morning of class, he took a break for lunch and a more senior student sat down next to him and said: “Why are you here?”

          Tim Cordes cleverly responded, “Well, this is where I thought you were supposed to eat lunch.”

          That, of course – “why are you here?"  was not a question about the choice of a cafeteria table.

          The question was “why are you in medical school?” …why are you trying to do this? Why don’t you give it up?

         

[_04_]     Jesus is also being asked the same question:  “why are you here?”

          And, he answers it quite succinctly: I am here because… [or]  “I came into the world for judgment so that those who do not see might see and those who see might become blind.”

          There are 2 key ideas here:

JUDGMENT -   and do we not often associate “judgment” with the ability to see? But, do we not also “judge” based on other factors?  For example, we cannot actually see our car engines, but there are many ways we can know whether or not the car is functioning properly. We listen, we feel. 

          We read in the letter to the Hebrews: “Faith is the evidence of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

          Sometimes, in order to practice our faith, we are called to become blind. Blindness can be a good thing.

BLINDNESS vs. SEEING             I recall that when I was learning to drive, as a 17-year-old, I was particularly vexed and confused by the fact that I could not see the front of the car from where I was sitting behind the steering wheel. The instructor told  me… you go by “feel” …

          This did not, however, comfort me ! I wanted to see … but later realized, I did not ride a bicycle by staring at the handlebars. I do not walk by looking at my feet.  We move by “feeling”. It’s OK to be blind !

[_05_]     In our prayer, expecially at this time of “social distancing” and “sheltering in place” …and not knowing what is coming next. I suggest we pray not only to see the future but also perceive what and who is already in our midst.

          It can be difficult now that so many of us are thrown together, perhaps with an intense immersion-experience of home life and togetherness.

          We may see things we did not see before.  It’s good to remember that love is patient, kind, bearing all things…not because love is blind but because love (God) can see what our eyes cannot.

[_06_]      In the early 1900’s, there was physician/doctor named Dr. Jacob Bolotin.  He fought his way into and through the Chicago College of Medicine, graduated with honors at age 24, and became the world's 1^st totally blind physician fully licensed to practice medicine. He was particularly recognized for his expertise on diseases of the heart and lungs.

          He did all of this without technology, without audiobooks and other technological tools a blind person would use today.

          In Dr. Bolotin's day making a diagnosis depended primarily on talking with the patient, conducting an examination by touch, using the doctor’s sense of smell, and listening to the patient's heart and lungs.

          There were no machines – in some ways, his blindness was an advantage.

          We are blind now, groping our way in the darkness of social distancing, sheltering in place, with – in some cases – more time on our hands and many opportunities to practice forgiveness, patience and detachment from our routines and agenda.       

          Jesus came that we might become blind, so as to connect with Him, in love of God and love of neighbor.  Let’s not miss the opportunity.