Greetings, SBT Readers!

Though the Truth can set us free, history has proven that it can also do us in. To speak Truth involves courage. It demands that we move beyond personal biases and assumptions to consider the objective facts: Did this happen or not happen? What were the outcomes? Who were the groups or individuals involved, either as perpetrators or victims? What evidence supports these claims? Is the evidence trustworthy? Then, when we have separated fact from fiction, reality from distortion, we have to decide what to do with our expanded knowledge base-- and that's where the danger comes in!

When the Truth we embrace separates us from those who avoid Truth at all costs, we become a threat to the status quo, pariahs amongst our former peers, "foreigners" within our own families, and even "enemies of the state." For some, posts on social media may lead to "red flag" surveillance; for others, speaking out may result in loss of employment, harassment, destruction or confiscation of personal property, imprisonment, and even physical harm. Poets, visual artists, and prophets are particularly at risk-- and always have been. The prophet Jeremiah, for example, was thrown down a cistern when his prophecies conflicted with the court's political, military, and religious objectives. Closer to our own time, the Nazis destroyed the works of artists they considered "un-German," promoting, instead, works that supported the myth of Aryan supremacy.

Truth involves seeing with clarity. Once we "see," the alternative is to go back to "un-seeing" or spiritual blindness. Such regression may exact a worse toll than speaking out! Like Jeremiah, we may find that holding back what God intends us to speak is like fire burning in our hearts, imprisoned in our bones, bringing an unendurable weariness (Jer 20:9).

Lenten Blessings,

Elizabeth

LINK TO SCRIPTURE READINGS

The man answered, saying,

“This is so amazing, that you do not know where he is from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if one is devout and does his will, he listens to him. It is unheard of for anyone to open the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he would not be able to do anything.”

They answered,

“You were born totally in sin, and are you trying to teach us?” Then they threw him out.

When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out,

he found him and said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

He answered, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”

Jesus replied, “You have seen him. The one speaking with you is he.”

Jn 9:1-41



The Gospel account of The Man Born Blind is a story of initiation. Typically read during Lent as an alternate text when catechumens are present, it is the only Gospel option for the Fourth Sunday, Lectionary Cycle A; as such, it offers the faithful the opportunity to reflect on their own baptismal journey from darkness into Light. The text begins with "darkness"-- not the darkness of sin but the darkness of "un-knowing." The man born blind has not been afflicted on account of his sins or those of his parents; rather, his condition is that of someone who has yet to undergo a process of transformation. Accustomed to a life without opportunities and devoid of ultimate meaning, this man is "blind" to his own spiritual potential. He is an earthling who has yet to encounter the indwelling God or discover that he is not only made in the Divine image but is also animated by the Divine breath.

Unlike other biblical characters who beg Jesus to heal them, the man born blind is unconscious of Jesus' presence. He says nothing and asks for nothing. Jesus, in fact, breaks into his beggar's reality, anointing his eyes with a mixture of clay and spittle. As gross as this may be to C21st readers, the symbolism is striking: molded anew, the man born blind immerses himself in the purifying waters of Siloam, emerging as a new creation, having died to his old self. Eyes open for the first time, he now beholds the outer world. To the amazement of his neighbors, he conducts himself as someone with sight-- not only that, but he has become assertive, insisting that he was blind but now can see, and proclaiming Jesus as a prophet. He will neither be intimidated nor change his story to suit his interrogators. Even when his own parents refuse to testify on his behalf, he insists that Jesus is "from God," enfuriating the religious authorities with his testimony. Spirit-filled, he shows no fear, speaks boldly, and will not back down. The story culminates in Jesus revealing himself to be the Son of Man, and the man professing his belief and worshipping him.

The journey from darkness to Light, from blindness to seeing, is both linear and spiral. Sacramentally, "the Elect" are those chosen by God to receive the sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation) after a period of spiritual formation (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) that prepares them to be received into full communion with the church. This is the linear journey, beginning with inquiry and ending with initiation and post-Easter reflection (Mystagogia). In contrast, while the spiral represents an ever deepening understanding of what it means to be baptized into the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, it also reflects moments of struggle and temptation, new beginnings and opportunities for growth. Life is not a straight line, any more than the spiritual journey is; rather, it is spiral in its complexity, filled with light and darkness, belief and disbelief, fidelity and failure. We step out onto the path bravely, like pilgrims, but even when we cannot see the ground beneath our feet, the Holy One is there, anointing us with his presence, calling us to the waters of Siloam.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

• In what way can the anointing of David be described as a story about seeing?
• Has your life been more of a straight line or a spiral?
• What "false self" narratives rule your life and how might you learn to embrace the truth of who you are?
• How might you learn to see as God sees?