March 10, 2002

Many children are afraid of the dark. We comfort them and tell them that everything is going to be all right. In today's Gospel, Jesus encounters adults who seem to be afraid of the light. He challenges them and us to open our eyes and leave our familiar darkness behind and also to follow his light.

Have you heard the saying that some people prefer the evil they know to the good they don't know? Do you know someone whom you consider to be "blind" to their problems. It may be neighbors who do not see the truth about their sons drug use or a friend who cannot recognize that she is cheating her clients. It may be a sister who continues relating to a man who beats her or a brother who won't admit that he is an alcoholic.

As much as we want to follow Christ's light, sometimes we shut our eyes to the darkness around us and pretend it is not there. It seems less frightening than admitting we are in the dark and walling thoughts of darkness into the light. But, God yearns for us to be bathed in warm healing light. God sees marvelous possibilities in our lives that we do not and Christ's light is seeking us out. As he did with the man born blind, Christ wants to massage our eyes open and take us by the hand and lead us out of our darkness and into his light. With Christ lighting the way for us, we never need to fear the familiar darkness or the light of new choices again.

Psalm 12 prays, "Even though I walk in the dark valley, I fear no evil, for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that gave me courage. The Lord is my shepherd and there is nothing I shall want." It is a prayer for all of us who close our eyes and are afraid of both the darkness and the light.

SO THE QUESTION: HOW IS CHRIST TRYING TO HEAL YOUR BLINDNESS OR LEAD YOU OUT OF THE DARKNESS?

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