Tag Archives: Seeing Injustice

Sight for the Blind

Lent

March 21, 2020

Scripture Reading: John 9:1-41

As he 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?’ Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, saying to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. –John 9:1-7

Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given to me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. –2 Corinthians 12:7-9

God gives each of God’s children gifts and talents, all of which we need to hone and use to God’s glory. For some those gifts are observable almost at birth for others it may take some time and the guidance of good teachers and mentors to identify and engage. We each also have challenges with which we must deal. I am not sure exactly what Jesus means by his statement in the first scripture above, he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. I think it falls in line with the idea that it rains on the just and the unjust*.  How we respond to adversity can draw us closer to God.

Perhaps that is also what Paul is trying to say about his thorn in the flesh. Another observation I have made over the years is that people who face few difficulties in their personal life view the world differently than those who must deal with complications in everything they do. Yes, some with disabilities or other limitations become bitter and turn inward while others work with whatever challenges they have toward becoming fully the persons God created them to be. Often these people develop a greater sense of empathy than those who have faced fewer obstacles.

Gaining sight when we are blind to the injustices in the world is a humbling experience. Hopefully it is an experience that thrust us with our whole being into doing God’s justice in all aspects of our lives.

Prayer: God of all who saw that all creation is good, grant us the ability to see the good in everyone and to work together to assure that all can fulfill their calling. Amen.

*Matthew 5:45

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Seeing Injustice

Kingdom Building

October 28, 2019

Scripture Reading: Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4

The oracle that the prophet Habakkuk saw.
O Lord, how long shall I cry for help,
   and you will not listen?
Or cry to you ‘Violence!’
   and you will not save?
Why do you make me see wrongdoing
   and look at trouble?
Destruction and violence are before me;
   strife and contention arise.
So the law becomes slack
   and justice never prevails.
The wicked surround the righteous—
   therefore judgement comes forth perverted. –Habakkuk 1:1-4

Why do you make me see wrongdoing and look at trouble? I have wondered this very question and would add “that others do not see.” I attended college from 1965 to 1969 where I was caught up in the civil rights movement and the Vietnam war. Fast forward some 20 years in a church small group and I was surprise to hear from people my same age who attended college at the same time who truly did not know anything about the civil rights activities and their only concern about the Vietnam war was that their student deferments remained in place. They enjoyed the normal college experiences of football games and staying up all night to finish a paper and meeting a future spouse and beer parties. I must tell you I long for a world where the worst thing that might happen to me or anyone else is that I might not get a paper in on time. Before that world can become reality, we must enact justice throughout the world we live in now.

So, what is justice? If we cannot define justice, it will never prevail. If we cannot see injustice, we can never define justice. Confining our lives to seeing only what is comfortable and safe for us will not lead to justice. I grew up in a small rural homogenous community. May introduction to the outside world was through books and it remains a primary source of learning about the world in which we live. I was also raised by news junkies. My parents watched TV news morning, evening, and night and read the daily paper which always arrived a day late to the farm because it came through the US Mail. I realize keeping up with the news is a challenge in these days of 24/7 reporting and accusations of “fake news” with concerns that indeed foreign countries may be posting unsubstantiated information on the media. Looking at more than one source helps.

Reading books or watching the news is not unlike reading the Bible. If we only listen to the parts that support the beliefs, we already hold we may miss the injustice all around us.

Prayer: Lord, open our eyes to the injustice in our world and our hearts to finding ways to correct it. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.