I know that I don’t know what I don’t know…

Ok, so you’ve got your “Salvation” worked out? (whatever that means)

You’ve got the answers and it’s your mission, given to you by God, to help others find the way that you have found?

I’m sure I can hear you now…”I don’t think I’m better than anyone else!  I’m just trying to humbly do what God has asked me to do in this world.  I want as many people to go to Heaven as possible!”

Ok, I hear you.  Fair enough.  And, frankly, I’ve heard it all before.

But, what if you don’t know what you think you know?  What if there is a deeper calling that is welling up inside you, and you keep tamping that voice down farther and farther because it is actually becoming a threat to your security?

What then?

Could you dare to see differently than the way you’ve been seeing?  Could you dare to be blind so that others might see?

What follows is a really interesting story about what it means to be blind, but not blind in the usual way.  Most stories of enlightenment move from darkness to light, from blindness to sight.

In this story, one might reflect on what my own children inadvertently (ok, sometimes it’s inadvertent and sometimes it’s not…) remind me: the older and wiser I get, the more I realize how much I don’t know.

Enjoy…

 BLINDNESS

Near Jerico, a great scribe was sitting one day quietly reflecting by the roadside.  As he contemplated life and faith, a large a noisy crowd stumbled by.  The scribe became so intrigued by all the activity, as this was a relatively relaxed and quiet place to sit.  So, he called out to one of the passers-by.

“What’s happening?”

The man he addressed didn’t stop, but shouted excitedly, “Jesus of Nazareth is approaching the city!”

The wise man had heard much talk of Jesus, and so he eagerly joined the crowd.

After some walking, everyone came to a halt, and silence descended upon the crowd.  As the scribe looked up, he saw Jesus walking through the masses, talking with people and healing them.  As he watched, a cry welled up from deep within him, and he began to shout, “Son of David, have mercy on me, a sinner!”

Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but the scribe shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

As Jesus came near, he stopped and asked the man to approach.  When the scribe came near, Jesus touched him and said, “Your faith has healed you.”

At that moment, the scribe was blinded and began to cry out like a fool.

When all the people saw what had taken place they were horrified, but Jesus paid no heed to them.  Instead, he put his hand on the shoulder of the scribe and whispered, “You will be blind for a while.”

To this, the man replied with a smile, “Oh Lord, it does not matter in the least, for the moment you touched me I saw all that I ever needed to see.”

Story taken from, “The Orthodox Heretic” by Peter Rollins