Lent 4 (A) + Turn to Jesus + 3.22.20

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(<a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g552274-d3781189-i62343440-State_Coal_Mine-Wonthaggi_Gippsland_Victoria.html#62343440"><img alt="" src="https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/03/b7/49/10/state-coal-mine.jpg"/></a><br/>This photo of State Coal Mine is courtesy of Tripadvisor)
M. Campbell-Langdell
All Saints, Oxnard
(1 Samuel 16:1–13; Ps 23; Ephesians 5:8–14; St. John 9:1–41)

Good morning and thank you for joining us online or by reading this!
Today we have another quite long gospel wherein Jesus heals a man born blind and everyone has their say about what they think it means or who they think Jesus is.
When I read through the scripture again, I could not help but think of how everyone has a different way of responding to a crisis – whether it is this man’s struggle with blindness, or whether it is COVID-19.
Jesus sees the man’s need and simply responds by healing. 
His disciples would like to rationalize or explain away the man’s affliction. His parents want to avoid all responsibility. And the religious leadership would like to blame Jesus or the man or somebody for messing up their neat existence.

Does that sound like some of the responses you have seen in others or felt this week?
Blind people in John tend to be a mirror to us seeing folks. They remind us of our own spiritual blindness. Because while they can’t see, sometimes our spiritual blindness is far greater.
Working Preacher’s Melinda Quivik suggested that we think about times of spiritual darkness as if we have entered a dark mine. 
When we are in a dark mine, we are

-only oriented towards ourselves
-we cannot see anyone else
-we alone are important
-and we are only focused on our immediate safety.
Raise your virtual hand if you have felt this way at some time this week.
When we live with the Lord, and we have God’s light
-we see others
-community becomes possible
-we step into the unknown with (some) confidence
-the big picture becomes clearer[1]
Right now, we are in a time of darkness and confusion. Nothing seems clear. But we need to keep praying. Each day. For ourselves and for others. And seeing how we can help those who need help – and I share so much gratitude for those I saw already doing that this week. How can we turn to Jesus daily so that he can turn on the light? Read your Day by Day, Living Compass or perhaps the DailyOffice.org daily or find what works for you to plug in and give it all to God daily. Keep connected with each other. So that we can navigate this together, even when we need to be physically apart for our and others’ safety.
Psalm 23 reminds us that powerful hands are around us, embracing us, even now!
Let us hear it:
1 The Lord is my shepherd; *
I shall not be in want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures *
and leads me beside still waters.

3 He revives my soul *
and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake.

4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil; *
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

5 You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; *
you have anointed my head with oil,
and my cup is running over.

6 Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, *
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Can we believe these words? And live as if they are true? I invite you to comment on this post or via text to me on how you are letting Jesus’ light into your spiritual mine at the moment. If you use the comments on the Facebook post remember this is a public forum. Let us pray for one another to keep firm and take good care so we will soon be together in person again.
Amen.

[1] Melinda Quivik, “Commentary on John 9:1-41,” from Working Preacher, https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=4410. 

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