Let Us See

[left: colliding black holes] As Jesus approached Jericho a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging, and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” He shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” The people walking in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent, but he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me!”

Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He replied, “Lord, please let me see.”

Jesus told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.” He immediately received his sight and followed him, giving glory to God. When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God. (Luke 18:35-43)

Do we see, or are we blind?  Consider what was written by Albert Haase in his 2009 book “Living the Lord’s Prayer.”  He said: “God refuses to become an object that can be contained by the human mind – whether that’s a golden calf or a literary image.  God lives in heaven!  God dwells in an unapproachable light.  God is indescribable, ineffable, unfathomable, incomprehensible.  God is like the air we breathe: we can never grasp it in our hands. God is like the horizon: we can never take in its length in one single glance.  God is like the universe with its black holes and quasars: we will never comprehend it.  

Indeed, it is an arrogant presumption to think that God can be captured, photographed, contained or described by the human mind or heart.  God is totally other, totally translucent.  In the words of the first letter to Timothy: “No one has ever seen or can see [God]’ (1 Timothy 6:16)”

“Lord, please let us see.”  As Haase concluded, we cannot.  However, we can focus on that which we can see: the love between people that often is disguised or not acknowledged.  God is love.  That we can see when we open our hearts and minds to the good in each other and tell Satan: “Be gone!”  

Deacon David Pierce