This is one of those stories that gives me hope, not only for societal transformation but also my own. I find it fascinating that in response to the prayer of the son of Timaeus, Jesus doesn’t walk over to him so they can talk. Nor does Jesus chastise the crowd. He simply invites the same crowd who earlier tried to quiet the blind man to now call him over. And they do. They take Jesus up on his invitation to mission, his invitation to help bring the good news of healing and deeper relationship with the Godhead to this man who is asking for help.

In partnership with the crowd, Jesus gives this man who is physically blind and socially silenced his eyesight and his voice. So maybe there’s hope for me to unlearn the idea that being a moral and upstanding member of society means holding to divisions, judgments, and gatekeeping in holy spaces. There’s hope for societal change when we let the love of Jesus guide us. Individually and collectively, we can help and heal. We can bring about God’s commonwealth in this fractured and hurting world. What an exciting notion! We don’t have to give up on the possibility of holy change.

MOVING FORWARD: What gospel story gives you hope for the future?