Blind Spots

God has blessed me with two wonderful children which I love unconditionally and bring so much pride but I am convinced they are going blind. They have developed blind spots, where they can not see. In my panic, I have done researched and discovered I am not alone. It is a common occurrence in young people. Have you every noticed how teenagers can walk past an overflowing garbage can and never notice it? Have you witnessed how a teenager can look into a refrigerator full of food, and say, “We have nothing to eat?” Or how can a teens say, “Mom, I don’t have any clean socks!” minutes after Kellie has placed a stack of them on their dresser. Blind spots, I call them, not being able to see what is right in front of them.


One day Jesus was passing a man whom had been blind since birth. Completely blind the man sat in the exact same place begging. No one really noticed him. They knew he was there but he had been such a fixture that he drifted slowly into everyone’s blind spot. When Jesus stopped and acknowledged the man, the church leaders, questioned the reason behind his blindness. They wanted to know, who sinned to cause the man to be blind. Jesus just healed the man. The church leaders questioned both the blind man’s true identity. They called in his parents to verify he actually was blind. They questioned the man on Jesus’ true identity. The man whom Jesus restored his sight said the proof was in his eyes. He was blind but now he can see. The Pharisees and church leaders questioned Jesus’ authority because if Jesus was who he said he was, he wouldn’t have healed on the Sabbath. Yes blind spots even affect church leaders.

It is easy to place blame, feel guilt, or get frustrated with those who experience blind spots. But when people don’t know what to do, they do what they know. This is a universal truth. It happens to the Pharisees and to us. When people grow up in a house with an alcoholic, when stress, pain, intimacy, or a crisis hit that they can not deal with, they do what they know, turn to substance abuse. When people grow up in an environment of violence, when conflict arises, they react out of violence because they do what they know. The church leaders reverted to the strict church rules (what they knew) because they did not know what to do with Jesus’ healings and teachings.

When Jesus restored the blind man’s sight he gave us insight as well. We can check our blind spots and learn something knew. We can expand our knowledge which will transform our actions. When stress, pain, and situations we feel are overwhelming, we can turn to something else like prayer, counseling, or reaching out to someone who has learned new ways of coping. When conflict arises, we know more than just violence. Jesus can open up our eyes to all the blind spots that exist in our lives. We can notice things we have never seen before; things that can both enrich our own lives as well as the lives of others around us. When we are open to learn new things about ourselves and others, the blind spots begin to vanish. In the process we learn what to do because when people do not know what to do, they do what they know. As the previously blind man said, “All I know is I was blind and now I can see.” One day may we all declare the same.

See ya in church, but until then, take care of yourself and one another.
Peace & Grace,
Tommy