It's been more than three weeks since my last blog post. Someone even emailed me and asked why I haven't put up anything new here! Sorry about that; I had a week's vacation in Seattle visiting family I haven't seen in 24 years, then came back to lots of details for our upcoming Mexico mission trip, preparations to perform a wedding, and all of my regular duties (which are much expanded these days without a senior pastor in place). Here are some of my thoughts about something I've been tossing around in my brain for awhile:

"POINT OF VIEW"


A few weeks ago our visiting preacher did a four week series on John 9: “The Man Born Blind." Pastor Mike had many good and relevant insights into the text, but one in particular caught my attention and I have continued to ponder it ever since. It came out of the early verses of the narrative:

John 9:2-3 “His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.’”

Pastor Mike pointed out how easy it is for us to make assumptions about things, to understand situations in certain ways, and to believe our view of reality is the right and true one. The common thought of Jewish people in Jesus’ day (and today too, really) was that “you reap what you sow,” and so if bad things are happening to you, they are the consequences of doing wrong, of breaking the rules, of sinning. You’re getting what you deserve. This was what Job was also charged with by his friends: all of the calamities that had befallen him meant he must have offended God. To be honest, there are places in Scripture that indicate this “tit for tat” understanding of life too. Check out Deuteronomy 28, for example. God spells out very clearly that obedience to Him brings blessing and disobedience brings curses--and lots of ‘em!

But in this passage from the gospel of John, Jesus once again turns conventional wisdom upside down, as he so often does, and refutes the common “everybody knows that” understanding. The infirmity of the man born blind, with all its attending issues and problems, was not the result of error, broken rules, or sin, but in order for “the work of God (to) be displayed in his life.”

Wow! What an incredible perspective on infirmities, on problems, on struggles, on all the “bad things” that occur to people in life. These situations are not necessarily the consequences of our poor choices, wrong decisions, bad behavior, or “sin” at all! They just might serve a purpose that is higher, or be part of a larger picture that only God can presently see, and so the reasons for the tough realities that people are facing are more complicated than what we humans can figure out or deduce.


In fact, might it even be possible that the “bad” things (as in: “Why do bad things happen to good people?”) are not really bad at all? From a human standpoint, yes. But what if we step away/step back/step out of our customary frame of reference and, instead, gain a different viewpoint--which Jesus often brought to situations wherever he went--and understand “bad” in a different light? For example, we have all heard the testimonies of people with disabilities who say the challenges they face in dealing with their “bad" thing actually strengthens them, gives them a deeper appreciation for life, and makes them better people. Some have even said that they are grateful for the “bad” thing in their lives. Some who have spent time in prison say that this “bad” thing was actually a “good” thing for them, because it helped them straighten out their lives. I haven’t seen it, but someone told me about a movie where a person who had been blind from birth is suddenly able to see--and that vision is so overwhelming for them that they want their blindness back! Vision...bad? Who can even imagine such a thing?

Even in our Christian faith, we view “bad" things (especially death) with a positive attitude. Paul states that he is grateful for the difficulties he has faced because of how they have challenged him, changed him, and allowed the gospel to be received by people. Even death, the worst of the worst of all ”bad" things, is cast as a good thing; as something to be desired by those who know Christ: “To die is gain.” “I would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” “We groan, longing for our heavenly dwelling.”


Christian funerals and memorial services are full of references to the fact that death is not the final reality; that from a Christian perspective (again, stepping back/stepping out of our customary human, worldly frame of reference) the loss of a loved one is only a temporary “badness.” We claim with Paul: “Our light and momentary afflictions are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” Even in the face of death, we proclaim hope! One day we will be reunited--forever!


We have a “heavenly” perspective, not a human, earthly one. Our understanding of the “badness” of death is that it actually brings about good things for us in the end!

Could it be possible that the things we call “bad” (infirmities, disabilities, hardships, and so forth) are not bad to God? That perhaps they are just another way--another aspect or different experience or expression--of living?

Now, I realize that what I’m saying here is kinda risky. I certainly do not mean to trivialize anyone’s hurts, troubles, or suffering by putting a “smiley face” on them and saying they are really just fine; that all you need is a different attitude or perspective about your situation. I do not advocate ignoring problems either, which is actually just avoiding them and all the inherent conflict that occurs when intentionally dealing with one's issues. Jesus himself faced the pain, the suffering, the agony--the BAD--of crucifixion and did not minimize the horror of it at all. He cried out to God to spare him from it! He knew it would be terrible, and no amount of changed attitude or fresh perspective changed the awful, BAD reality of it.

But I am curious about these verses from John that do indicate how our customary, conventional view of things in life can be completely wrong. They are not God’s perspective, desire, or reality at all! Something else is going on, and we need to allow the Holy Spirit to help give us God’s view and purpose in every situation in life. “My ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9) I fear that sometimes all of our reasoning and theologizing and thoughtful doctrinal responses to the “bad” things that happen to people are neither right nor helpful at all. Too often we have only sought answers intellectually, when what we need to do is seek them spiritually through prayer, meditation, silence, insight. A rational approach might be easier, clearer (for some), seem more sensible, yet completely miss the mark--just like the disciples’ question of Jesus about the man born blind.

“But we have the mind of Christ.” (I Corinthians 2:16) This is my desire. May we all pursue this worthy, vital goal so we can more clearly discern the Lord’s activity in our lives every day. What better way to deepen our relationship with Him too!

I'll write again after we return from Mexico, but it will probably be at least three weeks again. Be patient! I've got a good blog post idea coming up. Pray for me and for the mission team while we're south of the border - thanks everyone!