The readings for the 4th Sunday in Lent, the morning Eucharist, were focussed on light and sight. From the Old Testament reading in 1 Samuel, we see the choosing of David as the next king to replace Saul, how 'man looks at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart'. The reading from St John's gospel account (ch 9) tells of the healing of the man born blind. The blind man receives his sight but he becomes enlightened over and above the ecclesiastical leaders of the day who are revealed as truly blind as to whom Jesus is. But, to be enlightened costs the once blind man his place in the synagogue. To be enlightened is not to enter a suffering-free zone but to enter into suffering with one's eyes open.
At Evensong, we hear the cries of pain of the Hebrews in Egypt as their burdens are increased because of the promise of deliverance! Later in Matthew 27 we watch the betrayed and abandoned Jesus arraigned before Pilate. Pilate's wife suffers in her dreams. Judas suffers for betraying innocent blood. Pilate washes his hands of 'the blood of this innocent man' and suffers the agony of knowing that he has condemned a righteous man to death. So much for Roman justice! Jesus suffers rejection, flogging and finally condemnation to the cross.
This strange juxtaposition of light and darkness, seeing and not seeing, deliverance and suffering, reveals the life we now live. A surd of joy and sorrow it has been called. Surds cannot be resolved 'rationally' they can only be accepted as part of existence. We can along with all sufferers sigh but we sigh knowing the outcome of all suffering ends in perpetual joy.
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