Choosing to See What I Can’t See

I’ve written about this before: I’m color blind. It’s not severe, but it does prevent me from seeing some things. Certain shades of greens and reds or blues and purples are difficult and sometimes impossible for me to distinguish. More than once everyone around me was talking about a beautiful red cardinal sitting in a tree full of green foliage. I could see no bird. After decades of being a Star Wars fan, it was only recently that I was informed that Yoda is green! I always thought he was a tan color.

Friends and family still ask me the question, “So, what do you see if you don’t see the red or the green?” The only way I know to answer is that I see whatever my mind makes up to fill in the blank. But the interesting thing is that once someone tells me what the actual color is (like Yoda’s skin tone), I can usually see it then – or at least imagine that I’m seeing it.

The thing I have to constantly tell people, once they hear that I’m color blind, is that I don’t see only a black and white world; I’m not completely blind to colors. There are just certain shades that pass right by without my noticing them. And if no one tells me they’re there, I will never know.

Dangerous on the Road

It’s not unlike what we call “blind spots” while driving. Surely everyone who has spent any amount of time behind the wheel has experienced it. You are about to make a lane change only to hear a frantic honking (and maybe a few curse words if the windows are down). There is that place in between the sight of the mirrors where we can’t see anything. And it takes that extra effort to turn either to the right or to the left and confirm that the way is clear before changing lanes.

There is something eerily fascinating about the idea that a thing can be right in front of me or next to me and I remain completely clueless. It reminds me that blindness is a real thing.

Of course, to be blind limits what a person can do or, at least, forces that person to find ways to compensate. People who are completely blind at least know they cannot see. It is the other sorts of blindness, the ones where we see some things, but we don’t know what we cannot see, that give us special problems and make us dangerous. Though most of the time I can distinguish the red and green in a traffic light, I still have been urged (just in case) to memorize their positions – “top = stop” and “below = go.” Hopefully that make you feel a little better, knowing I’m out on the road.

Spiritual Blindness

The scriptures tell us that Jesus healed blind eyes and also talked about issues of an internal sort of blindness.

“Then Jesus told him, ‘I entered this world to render judgment – to give sight to the blind and show those who think they see that they are blind.’

Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked,

‘Are you saying we’re blind?’

 ‘If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,’ Jesus replied. ‘But you remain guilty because you claim you can see’” (John 9: 39-41 ESV).

Jesus is talking about the problem where we think we know something but refuse to admit the possibility that we don’t. We easily blind ourselves yet remain convinced we see everything clearly. We are spiritually (or relationally) blind. We cannot (or will not) admit we are unable to care for others, unable to listen well, unable to respond to needs, unable to control our tempers, and that we are inept in a host of other relational and spiritual skills. Jesus said that we’re guilty when we claim to see everything clearly but in reality we don’t. So, rather than admit we’re blind, we blame.

Admitting I Need Help

The word that naturally comes to mind that describes this condition, of course, is “pride.” To be full of pride is to be blind to many things. I “see” only what fits into the world I have embraced as my reality. Ironically, the one thing prideful individuals see best is the pride (or blindness) of others.

Humility, of course, is the solution. Put simply, humility is when I continually see myself as a learner. Only when I admit that I do not see everything in my mirrors will I make the effort to look over my shoulders and learn what is there before changing lanes. And, only when I confess that there is more I need to learn about caring for others, listening better, recognizing needs around me, and controlling my temper can I begin to have healthier relationships – with people and God.

Most of the qualities that bring me life — like love, joy, and peace — come through humble submission to connections outside myself. I need input from the outside to guide me through my inability to see clearly. For followers of Jesus, overcoming spiritual blindness comes through submitting to 1) the written Word of God, 2) the internal direction and conviction of the Holy Spirit, and 3) a healthy community of other believers who are also submitted to the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. And it all begins with admitting that I can’t see clearly on my own.

All blind people have to trust others to navigate the world. Trust is such a difficult word for so many people. But managing the pitfalls of life depend on it.

I have learned that I have to humble myself and ask for help when deciding which shirt goes with which pants if I want the colors of my clothing to match. Otherwise, in my blindness I see what I want to see. I have to depend on others to let me know the flashing light is red and not green. Otherwise, I go when I want to go, and the results can be disastrous.

 I have come to understand that it is foolish (and prideful) to ignore the fact that I have blind spots. There are some things I simply cannot see.

My hope is in the words of Jesus when he said, “I entered this world . . . to give sight to the blind” (John 9:39).

I can’t make myself see. That’s the work of Jesus in my life. The requirement laid upon me is to admit that I’m blind. Only then can the process of real transformation be set into motion.

Response:

• In what parts of my life do I need to admit I need help?
• What keeps me from admitting my blind spots?
• What “outside sets of eyes” do I need to submit to more?
• Jesus, help me admit where I am blind and provide the outside eyes to help me see!