We are all blind like the man Bartimaeus in this Sunday’s Gospel. Whether that blindness is willing or not, we choose at times to ignore the things right before us. Jesus asks what many of us see as a simple and unnecessary question of Bartimaeus. He asks what Bartimaeus wants him to do for him.
Jesus asks him this question because what seemed noticeable, his blindness, might not have been the thing he needed help with. It might have been that Bartimaeus was content with being blind. Jesus wanted to hear from Bartimaeus what he wanted.
God is not usually in the habit of forcing us to do anything. This too is why Jesus asked. We pray for those who are willfully blind in our day and age, but the reality is that they must be willing to see. They must be willing to confront the truth right in front of them.
In our world today, we see a complete lack of empathy, care, concern, love, and kindness. So many of us walk around blind to these vices. It is much easier to just claim it is hyperbole than to accept that these have become the standard for most people.
Today is the day to make a change. Today is the day to open your eyes and choose to look at all the ugliness and sadness in the world. Today is the day to choose to be a light in the darkness, to show love and empathy.
Join us this Sunday to learn how to remove your blinders and to see the path Jesus set before us.
Pax et Bonum,
Bishop Greer