“There is always the fear of self-righteousness possessing us, the fear of arrogating to ourselves a superiority that we do not possess.” - Mahatma Gandhi
As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” - John 9:1-2
A couple weeks ago a friend shared with a group some not fully fleshed out thoughts on an inspiration God had given him. He openly admitted that he was just breaking open that inspiration and what he had to share was rudimentary. I appreciate the humility and courage he showed. I suppose many, including myself, would have been compelled by fear or pride to come with something more polished or conclusive. His point was, by the way, a very good one. But the more I think about what he shared, the more it is the patience he showed with this Godgiven inspiration and himself that I find both an inspiration and a challenge. Too often, closure comes too soon. We assume we know and we reach conclusions prematurely.
The disciples ask Jesus a question: “Who sinned, this man or his parents?” They have closed off much in their question. They have decided that sin must be involved. They have decided that either the man or his parents are to blame. And assuming they have no afflictions themselves, that they are not sinners. They have painted a black and white world with good and bad people, and of course it is easy to tell who is who. This man is among the bad, hence his suffering. The only question left is who to pin the blame upon.
I wonder if we do the same? I wonder if we claim for ourselves a righteousness and in doing so deny that to others. I wonder if we occupy that same black and white world where we claim for ourselves that we are the good guys and if you are not with us, then well. My hope for myself and for others is that we might step back and not reach conclusions about others too hastily or at all.
My hope is that we would be mindful of the grace shown to us by God and not break fellowship with others. Imagine instead of such premature closure, we would instead seek to know more about another person.
Imagine the disciples going to the blind man, finding out who he is, what his life is like, and what his hopes and dreams are and then coming back to ask Jesus to help. Imagine the question turning from “who is to blame?” to “how can we help you?” Imagine instead of self-righteousness, the disciples find common humanity and a common need for Jesus.
Where and how might we do the same? You may recall that Jesus invited all the wrong people to dinner. He had a heart for fellowship and it was at such gatherings that hearts were changed. He did it time and again because it takes time to hear people tell their stories and to get to know them as people and not as portrayed in political cartoons, in Internet memes, on talk shows, and so forth. Resist the temptation to “unfriend” people, to break fellowship, to retreat into a bubble of like-minded travelers. If you are looking for Jesus, try looking among the “wrong” people.
Grace and peace,
Fr. Bill+