The Blind Leading the Blind

WHAT ARE YOU BLIND TO?
Like most men, I’m blind to a certain amount of dust
To the blind man, the VISIONARY is always mad – be it an unrealised future or a notion of spiritual things

SPIRITUALLY, the question is, what CAN’T BE SEEN?

The gift / bribe – as a distraction [Exodus 23:8; Deuteronomy 16:19]
“And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the discerning and perverts the words of the righteous.” (Exodus 23:8; see also Deuteronomy 16:19; 1 Samuel 12:3)

This give us some idea of what is going on here – we are distracted by things of the natural world, forgetting the principles we are supposed to live by. It’s not that the natural necessarily contradicts the spiritual, but it leaves us blind to the greater and more inclusive reality.

This is why …
Jesus criticised the scribes and pharisees, calling them “blind guides” [Matthew 23: 16,17,19,24,25; also 15:14]
Blindness was a problem for a priest. [Leviticus 21:18; 22:22; Deuteronomy 15:21]

How does this play out for us as individuals?
We can believe that carrying out certain natural activities (religious rituals) makes us spiritual good. Forgetting there’s a much broader category of activity – extending to attitudes, beliefs, and simple decency.
I note that for some the notion of Karma, “doing good”, leads some to announce their works. AND that this gets in the way of doing good itself.

Michelle’s Near Death Experience – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlXJQirefTQ
Speaks about the felt need NOT to look at things …
Leads to painkiller and alcohol dependence, as a way of numbing – choosing blindness.
Also leads to anxiety and depression as we shut down our emotions attempting to look away from.
Like kids who don’t want to look at the monster WE KNOW is under the bed.
Speaks about the need to “be right” as an external self-validation because we don’t believe our own true value.
[Michelle said] “I closed my eyes to an old reality and opened my eyes to a new reality that I did not even know existed.”

Finally, we consider Jesus’ words, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32)