John 9:1-41

Lent 4 – Year A

John 9:1-41

Who sinned? This one or their parents?

These questions come into better view when asked a couple of other ways around.

Who triumphed over sin? This one or their parents?
Is sin personal? This one? or generational? Their parents?
Is sin individual or social? Ours or our culture's?

These sorts of dualistic questions are responded to by Jesus at the end of the passage. When we hearken back to our Adam and Eve story and claim we are now able to tell the difference between good and evil, we are out of touch with a creative force that is not limited by such a distinction.

The initial question is one of putting one's self in the place of G*D – that there is only one answer to any one question. This is the fundamentalist downfall – they always falter on a next creation while trying to defend a past creation.

How close can we come to claiming the mystery of our purpose – to allow the "blind" to see and to assist those who claim to "see" the differences of life might experience how much of a blind-alley they are walking down? I expect that our closeness will have something to do with the temptations we have faced and our willingness to gaze into the middle-distance between foreground and background.