Luke 18:35-43 - What We Don’t See

Luke 18:35-43 - What We Don’t See

This morning I read two things that strangely seemed to connect with one another for me. One was in Richard Rohr’s daily email as he was quoting physicist Brian Greene with some of Rohr’s thoughts after...

Greene says, “If string theory is right, the microscopic fabric of our universe is a richly intertwined multidimensional labyrinth within which the strings of the universe endlessly twist and vibrate, rhythmically beating out the laws of the cosmos.” The theory speaks of universes coiled into infinitesimal loops that may hold the secrets of all forces in the cosmos. The beauty of the theory is that it is dynamic and rhythmic. It is a resonant and dancing universe that invites us to view its mysteries...

Then came Luke 18:35-43, the story of a blind man whose sight was restored by Jesus.

As he approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard a crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” Then he shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those who were in front sternly ordered him to be quiet; but he shouted even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stood still and ordered the man to be brought to him; and when he came near, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, praised God.

So, in both cases, we have the unseen. Greene and Rohr speak of the invisible forces of string theory and all that seems to be happening outside of our immediate perception. Then in Luke we have not only a man who was able to begin to see again after having lost his sight at some point in the past, but we also have that same man who some would rather Jesus had left unseen and unheard (those who sternly ordered him to be quiet...)

The beauty of the story is that Jesus can’t not see the man and can’t not hear him.

There is so much around us that we don’t see. Some are the unseen forces of the universe that are constantly at work around us. Some are the workings and stirrings of God. Some are who knows what. But sometimes, if we get creative, sometimes if we tune in just right...we can see it.

The picture is from an experiment I did last night - I walked the Montreat labyrinth in the dark wearing a headlamp and carrying two blue light sticks. What was so great was that the final photo visualized something that otherwise could not be seen but did it in such a way that added to the mystery of it all. The unseen forces all around, moving, stirring, dancing, calling.