John 9 tells the story of a man born blind whom Jesus healed by spreading mud on his face and telling him to and wash. Though Jesus is clear that the man was not the cause of his blindness, I was struck by the unwillingness of others to see him as anything other than blind, even after he said he could see.
sunday sonnet #24
Jesus saw a man blind from his birth –
the disciples wondered who had sinned;
Jesus spit to make mud of the earth
and said, “Go and wash to see again.
The man went to show he had been healed,
the priests and people cut him down to size —
new eyes weren’t something that could be real;
one who saw they did not recognize.
As metaphor the tale hit home most true:
how am I one who lives without sight?
Am I blind to what God has that’s new?
Will I go and wash without a fight?
Better remembered for my kindness
than be recognized for my blindness.