The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, 'Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?' His parents answered, 'We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.' His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, 'He is of age; ask him.' So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, 'Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.' He answered, 'I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.' They said to him, 'What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?' He answered them, 'I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?' Then they reviled him, saying, 'You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.' The man answered, 'Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.' They answered him, 'You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?' And they drove him out.
Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, 'Do you believe in the Son of Man?' He answered, 'And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.' Jesus said to him, 'You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.' He said, 'Lord, I believe.' And he worshiped him.
Jesus said, 'I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.' Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, 'Surely we are not blind, are we?' Jesus said to them, 'If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, "We see," your sin remains.
The Gospel reading continues to show us a dramatic conversation following the healing of the visually challenged man. The man who can now see is subjected to scrutiny over who cured him. Those inquiring even turn to his parents who out of fear from becoming caught up in the investigation to criminalize who ever it was the cured their blind son, refuse any involvement in the dispute. When the now cured visually impaired man finds Jesus and is told that Jesus is the Son of Man, that man worships the One who cured him, the one who saved him from the darkness of not being able to see. The Pharisees on the other hand are so caught up in their refusal to see their own arrogance cannot see how visually impaired they are. That is why Jesus said "your sin remains." (See The Collegeville Bible Commentary, New Testament Volume, Page 998).
I have observed through my own reading of the Gospel accounts between Jesus and the Pharisees and those whom he cured, raised from the dead, or helped come back into a sense of inclusion that Jesus' harshest judgments and words were for those who refused to see how blind they were. Those who were so arrogant as to thinking that they had it all together just because they followed the rules that they interpreted so literally and used them to dominate others found themselves on the not so nice side of Jesus. Those who knew that they needed help to be able to see and understand clearly were those whom Jesus healed, made whole and found them room among God's people. They often represented those who were the outcasts by the Pharisees and the political tyranny of his time.
Our own times are not that much unlike those recorded in the Bible. Today we are living in an age where the distance between the have's and the have not's are growing wider and wider every passing day. Billion dollar corporations with CEO's making huge profits are now able to have more say over the have not's in our society due to Citizens United. Those who are sick and without health care really are not completely better off because of Health Care Reform. The Health Care companies are still searching for every loop hole they can find to deny coverage to children and people with pre-existing conditions. Jobs are still being lost. The economy for the middle class and those on the very bottom is not looking any better today than it did almost three months ago. Yet many of our politicians and religious institutions on both sides of the isle refuse to see the problems for what they are and act on them for the best interests of the people they have been elected or ordained to serve.
We also have those in our churches and throughout society who refuse to see the damage to our environment done by toxic wastes and our addiction to oil and fossil fuels. Many individuals also refuse to see the damage that is being done to a healthy society by racism, sexism, heterosexism, religious discrimination, class discrimination, discrimination to those with physical, developmental and psychological challenges. When society and our church communities organized or otherwise refuse to see that any kind of discrimination damages the Church and makes our society unhealthy, the sin of inequality, injustice and cruelty is alive and well.
Our Church and society is healthier when we understand that it is everyone's business to be about the work of making peace in our world by working for justice for all. When we refuse to try to do our part, we are choosing to remain visually impaired. The quest for justice for the Islamic community as they are facing the terrible injustices of conservative Christian bias, is as much a concern for LGBTQ people, as the equal rights of LGBTQ people are a concern for all people of good will. Lisa Weiner-Mahfuz wrote in the Bilerico Project about "The Fierce Urgency of NOW: Why Queers Must Challenge Islamaphobia".
As a queer person, I am keenly aware that this kind of vicious targeting of any marginalized community is yet another reminder that we share space on the right wing target list with Muslims, Jews, women, People of Color, immigrants and people with disabilities. So why don't I hear more from the LGBT community and our leadership about the targeting of Muslims, mosques and Islam?
A release from California Faith for Equality was written to address the dangerous work of Pastor Lou Engle and a number of religious conservatives over marriage equality.
CFE Leaders Challenge Alliance of Engle, Gingrich and HuckabeeThe challenge for the Church is to be open to the possibility that we are not seeing everything clearly. Our two thousand years of Church history is filled with examples of how Christians have been getting it wrong. The two thousand year history is also full of examples of women and men, gay or straight, one gender or transgendered, black or white, abled or challenged met with faith the multiple challenges of their time and as a result great conversions happened. The Holy Spirit is again challenging the Church in the Year 2010 to open our hearts and minds to the possibility that we have been getting some things wrong. She wants us to admit that we are visually challenged to those who are still left out in the cold. The Holy Spirit came upon the Church to "guide us into all truth" (Jn 16:12). Are we open to the Holy Spirit guiding us into all truth, or are we really that arrogant as to believing that we are already there? Are we willing to tell Jesus that we are still very much visually challenged to those who really need the Church to open our doors, hearts and minds so that we can welcome all, and take our part in the ministry of reconciliation? Imagine what healing Jesus Christ would do in our Church and society through us if we could all admit that we really do not see things as clearly as we thought we did.
September 3, 2010
This weekend in Sacramento, California groups of religious extremists will take part in “The Call” –lead by Pastor Lou Engle and promoted by conservative politicians such as Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee, who are using religious events to rally voters and to crush marriage equality in California.
“It is not only misguided but reckless to promote a God of vengeance.” said Samuel M. Chu, Executive Director of California Faith for Equality, of Engle’s religious agenda. ”Religion should never be used as a weapon to condemn, to harm, or to strip away a person’s humanity.” California Faith for Equality (CFE), is an organization of over 6000 clergy and lay leaders who support equality and justice for all.
“We represent good people of deep faith across the great state of California who know that traditional religious values are love, justice and compassion, not bigotry, discrimination and hatred,” said the Rt. Rev. Dr. Brian Baker, Dean of Trinity Cathedral in Sacramento. “CFE stands with all those working for marriage equality because we believe God blesses all people equally and that Constitution should protect all people equally.”
“CFE strongly supports freedom of religion,” added Chu, “but we also believe in the freedom from religion. When politicians like Gingrich and Huckabee create an alliance with Lou Engle, we must speak out to prevent religious extremists from writing their theology into the laws of this land.”
CFE spokespeople Samuel M. Chu and The Rt. Rev. Dr. Brian Baker will be available for comment throughout the weekend .
Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen (Proper 17, Book of Common Prayer, Page 233).
O God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior, the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions; take away all hatred and prejudice, and whatever else may hinder us from godly union and concord; that, as there is but one Body and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Unity of the Church, Book of Common Prayer, Page 818).
Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen. (Prayer Attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, Book of Common Prayer, Page 833).
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