Listen to these words from the Gospel of John:
“As Jesus walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’”[1] Now listen to these words from the Gospel of John, with a contemporary twist: “Rabbi, who sinned, us or someone else, that we suffer from pandemic?” or “Rabbi, who sinned, us or others, that we be faced with uncertainty?” or “Rabbi, who sinned, us or [insert scapegoat here], that we are living in chaos?” Perhaps, our thoughts – whether spoken aloud or pondered silently in our minds – resemble the logic of the disciples. Perhaps we, like the disciples, do not understand what is happening in front of our eyes. We see one thing – a blind man, a global pandemic, empty grocery store shelves – and yet, there is another reality. Hear Jesus’s response to his disciples: “Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him.’”[2] The blind man was not being punished for his sins, nor for the sins of his family. God did not create him blind as a warning to others, nor was this man mistakenly made blind. He was blind. That was his reality – and the “so” in Jesus’s response tells us that his reality was to be used for God’s glory. Now hear Jesus’s response to his disciples, with a contemporary twist: “Jesus answered, ‘Neither you nor another sinned; this pandemic occurred so that God's works might be revealed through it.’”[3] Again, we are not being punished for sins. God did not create this pandemic to instill fear, retribution, or pain. God does not watch from afar, delighting in our chaos. Rather, God is with us in in it. Like the man’s blindness, this pandemic just is. It is not God’s will; nor is it any person or people group’s fault. This is our reality – and the “so” in Jesus’s response tells us that it will be used for God’s glory. But now it is up to us to do this work – to listen for God in our world and make meaning of the chaos. Because God is with us in the chaos, opening our eyes to what we cannot see on our own. Yet, when our eyes are opened by God to that which is perceived and not seen – the world may not recognize us. After Jesus gave the blind man sight, the man’s town did not recognize him. People asked “‘Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?’”[4] Some did say, “‘It is he;’” while others argued “‘No, but it is someone like him.’”[5] The people debated the man’s identity, then put him on trial to defend what God did for him. The man kept saying, “I am the man.”[6] He had to convince those around him, including his neighbors, that he was still the same person, just with new sight. And rather than fall defeated, the man gave credit to God.[7] This may be true for us, too. When we receive new sight from God, we act differently – we love differently – we care differently. Suddenly, the world is not about “me,” but instead about “us.” We worry about neighbors, people at higher health risk, those going without pay, the homeless, refugees, and those who continue to work so that we can have food on our tables and receive medical care. And we praise. We sing. We worship. We hold a belief which allows us to hope for a resurrected world – and this hope inspires us to make New Life a reality here on earth. The world may not recognize us because, when we realize God with us – Emmanuel – we are in light, living as children of light.[8] The darkness that was, no longer covers us. Rather, God covers us because God is with us in the chaos, shinning next to and through us. When the world looks at us and questions, “‘Then how were your eyes opened?’”[9] we must give credit to the Light. It is by living in Light – living in Christ who is the light of the world[10] – that our eyes are opened. In thinking about Light, I’m reminded of a rabbinical story that teaches us the difference that Light makes. Once there lived an elderly queen who had three children. The queen needed to determine who would assume the throne after she died. So, she set up a test. Each child had to fill one room in the palace with any item of their choice. The next day, the queen went to assess her children’s work. Her first child chose stones. While most of the room was filled, the queen noticed some gaps between the stones and near the ceiling. Her second child chose feathers. Tightly compressed, the room looked full; but a gust of wind could still be felt coming from the window. Finally, the queen went to her third child’s room. When she arrived, the room was empty. The child asked the queen to wait outside. Moments later, the child opened the door and the queen saw that a bright light not only filled the room, but also spilled into the hallway. The child had lit a single candle. “This,” the queen said, “is the answer. You, child, will assume the throne, for you understand that light is the only thing which can lead a kingdom.” Like the light which filled the room, Light can fill our world when we let it shine. It is how we see when surrounded by chaos. It is how we feel comforted when otherwise anxious. It is our gift from God that we are called to share with others – especially in a time such as this. Light is proof that God is with us, opening our eyes to that which is perceived and not seen. So, if we are wondering what sin caused this pandemic, casting blame, and assuming God is absent… May we receive new sight from God – a sight which allows us to perceive the unseen. A new vision which allows us to hope. We, like the disciples, may not understand what is happening in front of our eyes. We see one thing – a blind man, a global pandemic – and yet, there is another reality. This reality is that God is with us in the chaos, and that we are supposed to use our current reality for God’s glory. This is not the time to hide our faith. Rather, this is our time to let Light shine through us – demonstrating hope, compassion, and love. We are an Easter people – and I’m talking the whole of Holy Week – which means we are a people who believe in the Resurrection, in New Life, and understand that sometimes New Life requires confronting chaos. And, as Easter people, we know that God is with us in the chaos as we strive to make meaning of it, constantly opening our eyes to what we cannot see on our own. Like the man’s blindness, this too shall pass. Hold on to hope, for God is with us. Amen. [1] John 9:1-2. [2] John 9:3. [3] John 9:3. [4] John 9:8. [5] John 9:9. [6] John 9:9. [7] John 9:3-33. [8] Ephesians 5:8. [9] John 9:10. [10] John 9:5. |