I think for most of us, when it comes to our eyes, are a bit leery of anyone getting too close. This is true in deciding to get contact lenses, deciding to have laser surgery, dealing with cataract removal, or a detached retina. There is an element of fear with anything that might impair our vision. Our eye sight is precious and irreplaceable. It is a primary way in which we communicate with others and interpret our world. It provides us beauty, comfort, laughter and connection. Without it we are vulnerable; to being ignored, taken advantage or, or being unemployable.

Furthermore, the whole idea of being handicapped is something we want to avoid at any cost, for the world isolates those who are different. We often give unhelpful pity or avoidance to the handicapped because we are uncomfortable and ignorant. We hide our own handicaps to avoid the very treatment we give others. Better to stay in our comfort zone, we figure, than venture into the unknown. But in this way we limit our lives. We are blind to a better way. We have chosen cloudy vision instead of clarity.

A number of years ago, an opera buff friend of mine introduced me to the voice of Andrea Boccelli. At the time I was not much of an opera fan. But as the music began, his voice mesmerized me. There was such passion in his voice that captured my heart that disregarded the language barrier. He had such clarity, his voice soaring effortlessly to music that held me captivated. He truly had a gift like none I had ever heard.

When I learned of his blindness I wondered how could this be? How could he learn the music without reading the notes? How could he follow a conductor without seeing the baton or facial expressions? More than that, I wondered what courage resided within him that allowed him to sidestep the pity, the whispering behind his back, imagined or real? How did he step over his blindness and into the public arena as though he had been healed?

Handicaps are fearful business. I once had a helpful conversation with a special education teacher on this subject. I had mentioned my fears in finding my way to seminary on the south side of Chicago, made more fearful with my poor sense of direction. Getting lost had high stakes there. With wisdom she responded, "Everyone is handicapped in one way or another. For some it is visible; for others it is not. We learn how to compensate in different ways."

Some have visible handicaps and some of us are handicapped in less visible ways. Only in the last couple of decades have the physically handicapped become more visible; wheelchairs on sidewalks, for example. Only recently, have schools begun to provide for the physically and mentally handicapped. I suspect it will be a lot longer before the more invisible handicaps are addressed.

So I propose this morning, that all of us, despite our outward appearances, are handicapped. All of us, have hidden deficiencies that we fear others will discover. All of us have felt the judgment of others, keeping us in the dark.

Andrea Boccelli lost his eyesight at an early age. It could have been the end of his independence and joy of living. Instead, he completed law school to relieve his parents, and then went on to capture his own dream of singing, despite great odds. He had faith that he could do this. And, as this passage promises, God speaks through our handicaps, freeing us from blindness.

The focus of this passage is not about the blind man given sight. It is not about who is to blame for his blindness. It is not even about how arrogant and scared the priests of the day were, with something they could not explain.

Rather, the point of this passage is about spiritual disability; about choosing blindness instead of faith, the kind of faith it took for this ridiculed, blind man to go to a pool and wash off his eyes. Or the kind of faith that Boccelli had in following his heart instead of the naysayers.

Spiritual disability can hamper us much more in life than the physical sort.

This passage speaks of a metaphorical blindness. Through this man, Jesus was teaching that blindness is not limited to our eyes alone. It is the blindness of our hearts and minds that is the most crippling.

The miracle of this story is more about the vision that allowed him to "see" God. He was given not one sight but two; the sight of his eyes and the sight of his faith. Slowly, the man’s blindness was peeled away. As his eyes are beginning to focus, he first sees Jesus as a man, then a prophet, and finally recognizing Jesus as a man of God. It was then that he said "I believe." His cloudy vision was washed away. He walked away from his former self. He picked up his hope that lay on the roadside. He threw down his doubt and fear of punishment. He released his fear of mockery and said before all,

"I believe".

He was no longer bound in darkness, not physically, not spiritually. He was free and he knew it. "I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see". Those well known words we sing from Amazing Grace, were written from one who stepped out of darkness and declared, "I believe." When we allow the blinders to be removed from our spirits, we can see. When we dare to step out of the dark, we recognize the presence of Jesus in our lives. We hear his voice within us.

We are free when we no longer try to make up excuses or explanations for something wonderful that happened in our lives. We have sight when we no longer cling to the false security of living in the dark about out faith. We are can see when we stop allowing the Pharisees in our lives to silence us. When we gain our sight, we are no longer uncomfortable talking about our faith. We do not avoid telling others about our journey when the opportunity presents itself. Because we too, are free, free to run into the crowd and shout, Look at me! I can see! Something wonderful has happened to me?

We don’t have to manage our lives alone. We don’t have to hide in the darkness, feeling inadequate in some way. We have been made imperfect intentionally. We can step out into the light trusting in a God who offers us clear vision. These are those unmistakable moments where God is offering us the miracle of sight; times when we can say without reservation, "I believe", and mean it.

The blind man was freed from what held him back. He didn’t care if he was banned from the synagogue. He didn’t care if others spoke of his sin. He didn’t care if the Pharisees kicked him out of town. He believed and nothing could change that.

I think Jesus comes to all of us like that; ready to heal our doubts, our fears, our resistance, if we are open. We can be freed from the blindness of thinking the opinions and actions of others are more important than what God is offering us.

Blindness is so prevalent in us. We say we don’t need to learn about God in our lives. We make judgments about another’s behavior, without having any idea who they are inside. We judge another’s faith without having any idea what God is doing with them, or in us, because of them, for that matter. We are blind.

The Art Fair we had a couple of weeks ago reminded me of this. The comment I heard the most was "I had no idea he painted" or "I have known her for years but never knew how creative she is!" People we thought we knew, we did not. We were blind until our eyes were opened.

That’s how it is with our faith. Jesus can heal us too but we have to show up. We have to be available. The blind man didn’t ask to be healed, but he was available. I think the hopeful news here is how God can be revealed through all sorts of situations, if we have eyes to see.

The words, "Those who have ears, let them hear", are Gospel words. They don’t refer to those who are not deaf; these words of Jesus are directed to the faithful, who know how to hear through their faith. Those who declare, "I have gotten along all my life without God, and don’t need him now," are blind. The people who say I can find God in the woods, or skiing, are blind thinking that is the only place God shows up. Those who acquiesce by saying, "It’s just the way I am" have no idea of the wonders God has in store for them.

I think the words, "those who have ears let them hear", have an urgency about them. They are words of warning and preparation. They are words to us, the believers. You see, faith is a gift not a requirement. It is given to us to guide our journey, to make the way full and bright. There are dark times in all of our lives, when we are truly alone; times of illness and death to be sure; times of tough decision making and disappointment; times where we cannot find our way. These are the times in our lives when only God has total clarity of vision.

Each family has ways of remaining in the dark. There are certain rules and expectations that keep us in darkness and mine was no exception. I learned early on that we were not to discuss personal things, such as our emotions, our finances, or our struggles, I public. It was impolite and not in good taste.

I was raised in a strong family of faith, but my father did not attend church with us. As a child and far into adulthood I sought answers, but was not successful. My Mom raised us in faith and was my primary spiritual mentor her entire life. After my Dad died, she broke the family rule and shared a conversation she had with him, shortly before he died. One day he was reviewing his life with her and said, "I wish I had experienced the faith you had in your life, how much easier life has been for you. All along, I said no, and now it is too late." You see, despite Mom’s attempts to include him, he always refused. It was not until the end of his life that he saw his mistake and it was too late.

I think this is what Jesus is telling us. Don’t hold onto your blindness as something sacred, believing that is just the way it is, or is meant to be. Don’t put off getting to know more about God, because you’re embarrassed, or afraid others will think you are uneducated. Don’t let your past prevent what God has waiting for you today. God will take care of the fear. Don’t let it be too late for you.

The blind man was available. He said yes to Jesus and was given the sight of faith. At last he was able to see.

So too, can it be with us. Amen