Called to See

“What don’t you get?” Jesus asks. The same kind of question is asked to Nicodemus, who comes under the cover of night, to the woman at the well, who in the middle of the day understands clearly, and to the man born blind, whose vision of Jesus is unimpaired. John, the gospel writer cleverly has each of these stories leaving us with a question that enables the teaching of Jesus to be clarified. Maybe my favourite is the story of the man born blind, because the idea of sin and blindness are so tightly woven.  By asking why the man was born blind, whether he sinned or his parents, we come face to face with a theological problem that still grips us. Does our idea of God include punishment and retribution, or does our idea of God invite us to see clearly those we have excluded, “othered” or thought beneath us?

In his response, Jesus helps the audience understand that this is not about a punitive God, but more about coming to see who God is by experiencing God’s healing, inclusive love. The man born blind receives some kind of healing, and sees who Jesus is clearly, even when those looking on are still struggling with the cause of his blindness; and that someone must have sinned.

Sin is such a subjective thing. One generation or culture or set of leaders sees sin in one way and the next has a completely different understanding. I like to think of sin as that which separates us from God. Do you remember when dancing, or playing cards, or doing anything out side of church or visiting on Sunday was considered breaking the sabbath? Well that was then, and this is now. Jesus is always accused of sinning, which leads him to the place of teaching about how we are already separating ourselves from God.

Perhaps though, it might be helpful to think about the kinds of sins that are carried over from our ancestors, and the way that seeing anew, inviting experience to teach us, might be calling usTto live as people of faith in this time. Consider for a moment the prejudices we have inherited, and maintained, perhaps due to our own ignorance and assumptions, perhaps because we like being a dominant majority. For the past few months I have enjoyed the opportunity to gather with folks in a Lenten study to consider how we understand treaty. The study has included seeing clearly through the lens of our history, often unknown.  For generations we have misinterpreted the idea of treaty.  Our ancestors were signatories to a kind of covenant between peoples, to share the land, seeing that the abundance of Canada has enough for all. Our track record in living into that covenant is not very good. Without an acknowledgement that we have things to learn, and relationships to build, the sins of our past, the blindness of our ideas, the perspective of our history, will certainly be visited on the next generation.

I don’t want that to be the legacy of my generation. I’d prefer to have my eyes open to the call of Jesus, to foster relationship with those beyond my culture and comfort zone, to find the common humanity and celebrate God’s presence in that.

If a faith for today doesn’t call us to that, it seems we, like those who question the man with restored sight, will have missed the mark. Without that kind of care, that work will still be waiting to be done for the next generation, indeed seven generations forward. Now is the time. We are called to it.

Rev. Donna Tourneur ministers among the people of Trinity United Church in New Glasgow.