Father Gary’s Sermon

Inspired from John 9:1-38

Proclaimed on March 6, 2005

The Associated Press recently reported of an incident involving the 23 year old Linda Burnett while she was visiting with her in-laws. During this visit she went to a nearby supermarket to pick up some groceries. While she was there several people noticed her sitting in her car with the window rolled up, her eyes closed, and both of her hands behind the back of her head. One bystander, who noticed her before he went into the store, became concerned on his way out when he noticed that she was still in the same position. Walking over to the car he noticed that her eyes were now open and on her face was this very strange look. He asked her if she was okay. Linda responded that she had been shot in the back of her head and had been holding her brains in for the past hour. The man called the paramedics, who when they arrived at the locked car, were unable to get Linda to remove her hands from her head. When they were finally able to get to her, they found that Linda had a wad of bread dough stuck to the back of her head. What had happened was that a Pillsbury biscuit canister in her groceries had exploded, making the sound of a gunshot, and the wad of dough had struck Linda in the back of her head. When she reached back to find out what it was, she felt the dough and thought that it was her brains. She had initially passed out, but quickly recovered and had sat there for over an hour attempting to hold in her brains until someone had come to her aid.

What this story is really about are our human perceptions and how we act upon them. Linda’s perception of her experience perhaps had been molded by a movie she recently watched or her fear of the rising crime rates that much of our news is inundated with. So being in a public parking lot and hearing the shot behind her, as well as the feel of the dough on her head, she was well prepared to accept the conclusion that she had been truly shot and that her life was indeed in mortal danger.

Believe it or not, this is the same sort of story that is in our Gospel reading this morning. It is a story of Jesus’ healing a man who had been born blind, but in the story the actual healing is told in 2 verses, while the reactions of others to the healing takes up the remaining 39 verses. In essence, this story asks who was really blind: the man born without his sight or those unable to see God’s work among them? As the perceptions of the woman at the grocery store who had thought she had been shot were prepared by the shaping of her cultural influences, so too were the perceptions of the characters in this biblical story influenced by their cultural influences as seen in their various reactions. The disciples’ reaction to the blind beggar was one that lacked any compassion for they had been taught that any impairment to vision was related to some sort of sin and was therefore a punishment from God. The Pharisees’ reaction to the blind beggar was one of fear, for he had been healed on the Sabbath, which they believed was a violation of the Law, which could subject their nation to further judgment. Therefore, instead of rejoicing in the beggar’s good fortune, they were looking for the guilty healer. The conclusion of the story then reveals to us that the only one who was not visually impaired was the beggar, not because his physical eyes now worked, but because he discovered in this compassionate act of healing a new perception regarding the truth of God and fully opened him to new spiritual possibilities. Indeed, the two go hand in hand, receiving his physical sight, as well as receiving new spiritual insight into God.

This is noted in a book entitled An Anthropologist on Mars by Neurologist Oliver Sacks. In this book he notes that over the past ten centuries there are not more than twenty cases of a person born blind that have received their eyesight later in their lives. In all such cases receiving this new ability to see was very deeply disorienting. They had no previous frame of reference from prior perceptions and so did not know what to do with their new ability to see. They had to completely unlearn how their perceptual worlds were ordered before and build a whole new world. Many of these persons, around a year after having gained their ability to see, willingly went blind again. So overwhelming was this new way of being in the world that they psychologically shut down their eyes to return to that which was more familiar to them. Many of these folks died young, either from suicide, or from some other stress related illness.

The question may now be rightly asked as to what this may have to do with us and with our parish. The truth is that our Vestry and Priest have recently been engaged in some painful discussions. They first of all have to do with coming to terms with the identity of our parish. Who are we and what is our purpose? However, these conversations are also about the relationship between this parish and its clergy. These conversations should not come as a surprise to anyone. If you will recall in my first sermon I preached here I spoke to you about the infatuation that we were experiencing at that time. We were giddy with warm and fuzzy feelings, as well as excited about our need found love. I then shared that the day was coming when something else would occur. As is true with all newly weds, the day eventually comes when they awaken one morning and suddenly wonder that the stranger is that is lying next to them. The perceptions they originally had about one another were being challenged and changed by new realities or experiences. This is now what is happening to us. Many of you are beginning to think that I am not the priest you originally thought that I was. I, on the other hand, am finding that this is not the parish I thought I was coming to. Alas, however, this is only normal. Every parish and every priest go through this experience in their relationship. What is important is not that it occurs, so much as how the experience is managed.

In the next several weeks every one within our parish will be invited to one of four Sunday evening gatherings. During these times we are going to be given an opportunity. It will be a time to consider our perceptions. Some of the dangers we face will be those of the original disciples and the Pharisees as they pointed their fingers at what they considered to be sin. This is not the purpose of these meetings. Rather they are being held as an opportunity for us to experience the Healer in our midst.

In considering these opportunities I bring to your attention the main hallway in our church. On it hang the pictures of each of our previous priests and bishops. I recall several occasions when walking down that hallway with some of you. You would stop, point at a picture and begin to share memories of a priest. Sometimes those memories were pleasant and humorous. Other times they were painful recollections. Let’s just say that having a priest is a mixed experience. First of all, every priest that has been here has been called by God and by you. Each one of them has come with very special gifts. Indeed, this parish would not be what it is today were it not for the special gifts of these men. However, each of these persons has also been flawed. No priest is perfect. Actually, the only priest that was perfect is Jesus -- and we crucified. Knowing this is enough to discourage any priest from pursuing perfection.

What can we gain from these experiences? First, it is important that we value the priests we have for God has called each. This should warrant our respect. Secondly, out of love for God we can also work to helping our priests to mature and become better leaders and persons. For as their ministries change us, so we change them. As the man born blind in our Gospel had to learn how to live with a new life, so now we have the same opportunity before us. Like the girl who thought she was shot in the parking lot, we may need a reality check. Like those people born blind that received their sight and experienced disorientation, we too may be tempted to give up new insights. This is our opportunity to experience God at work in our midst. What are we going to do with it?