Let Me See

Have you ever walked through your neighborhood with someone who has never been there before? If not, try it sometime. It’s amazing what a new person will notice about your street that you just don’t pay attention to anymore. Perhaps that’s a bit like how the crowd felt when Jesus stopped and responded to Bartimaeus in today’s text (Mark 10:46-52). Had the crowds gotten so used to Bartimaeus’s shouting that they’d neglected to actually pay attention to what he was saying? How many times had he called out for mercy, only to have his neighbors treat him as one more ignorable fixture in their lives? Now, maybe that’s not fair. Or, not entirely fair. Sometimes we choose not to pay attention because we feel helpless to do anything. Noticing would require us to do something. But whether your congregants are more like the crowd or more like Bartimaeus—or perhaps a mixture of the two—there’s a good chance they’re coming to worship this Sunday struggling to see and feel seen, hear and be heard, know and feel known.

Before we go further, let me clear that this text is not about physical blindness being a result of sin, nor is it a lesson in salvation as the restoration of physical sight. For centuries, Christians have failed to pay attention to our disabled siblings and the harm that equating disability with sin and salvation with the removal of disability has done. If you would like to learn more, the article “Finding Healing in My Disability” is an excellent and accessible starting place.

So, how do we help our people notice what Jesus notices? Consider filling the altar and/or the screens with images from around the church building and the surrounding neighborhood that can serve as icons for meditation and prayer. Perhaps a small ensemble could sing a song usually considered “secular” that gains new and deeper meaning when put it in the context of the sacred. If it’s not too hot or cold, consider opening some windows or doors, letting in the fresh air and the sounds of the neighborhood to mix and mingle with the sounds and activities of worship. Confess and commit to recognizing the areas of need and the people crying out for mercy who have been ignored for too long. When we gather for worship, Jesus pays attention and asks us, “What do you want me to do for you?” May our answer lead us into greater connection and transformative relationships with God, self, neighbor, and creation.