This week I'm thinking about my header...

This THursdayTHought (and two subsequent) was originally written in 2017 when I first adopted the header that you see, above. As I was thinking this week, this series came to my mind because I think it is indicative of what Lent is all about. Some of you will have read these before - some for the first time. Thanks for reading.

Ok... I admit it... there are times (too many, quite frankly) when I am slow on the uptake. Or, I am so enamored with one way of seeing or doing things that I miss what is right in front of my face.

think we can all get tunnel vision at times. Like when you are at the store looking for your favorite brand of dishwashing liquid. You look where it normally is: not there. You look all around in the other dishwashing liquid: not there. You look on the end of the aisle where they are pushing certain products: not there. Finally, as a last resort, you ask. Ok, so this is MY last resort. Maybe you are better at asking for help than me!

And the friendly store person takes you to the first place you looked, in the place it normally is, and there it is. Only the manufacturer has changed the packaging! You were so keyed in on what you thought you needed to see that you missed what was right in front of your face.

When the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’” Jesus had just then cured many people of diseases, plagues, and evil spirits, and had given sight to many who were blind. And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them.

Luke7:20-22

The Michelangelo painting from the Sistine Chapel in the header is the source of my tunnel vision. I have always seen this picture in terms of the space that is between Adam's finger and God's. I have always thought of this space as the place where the cross of Christ bridges the gap. The cross as the moment when that gap ceased to exist.

But -- and I have no idea why -- I have seen two new things in this painting. Why didn't I see them before? Because I was so blinded by what I did see. We often do this with faith, God, the Church, even each other. We think we know what we are supposed to see or even what we have always seen. And so, we are blinded from seeing something new.

I wish I knew what opened my eyes. I guess I will have to chalk it up to the power of God at work in the world.

Peace this week,

Bishop Barbins

Visit our Synod website

Subscribe to THursdayTHoughts

Share This Email