To See or Not To See

To See or Not to See
Lent 4; John 9:1-41
Surely we are not blind, are we?
We can see on our screens 
all manner of enticements
to alleged healing or debauchery
and are encouraged to purchase
what we see and read about,
with no personal contact or experience.
We can watch people suffering
from war and catastrophe,
from prejudice and tyranny
and we glance, grimace and forget,
reassured of our blinkered immunity,
as we eat the microwaved meals
we scarcely taste or enjoy.

But do we ever see and wonder
at the infinite detail and intricate life
of natural country, or share the vision
of those who have lived in harmony there
with 60,000 years of wisdom stories and songs?
Some adventurers roar through such land
in four-wheel drives, vehicle and driver
displaying toughness, conquering adversity,
but what of silent walking, observing,
listening, honouring otherness and relationship,
in harmony with spirit and with beings?

Is that the restoration of our occluded sight
that might come from a mixture of earth
and spittle applied by the rejected healer
and the wake-up splash of water
welling up from the depths
or sent from the heavens?
Rejoicing in this gift of awareness,
we might at last embrace the vision
of Earth and people returning
to creation’s intended sharing and respect,
and the joy and sustenance 
of heart-felt praise and worship.
	Barbara Messner 11/03/2026