The judgment

After John 9 

He said it

plainly; he 

explained it,

succinctly. 

The reason

he came was 

judgment, that 

those who are 

blind can see, 

and those who

see may become 

blind. Guilt may be 

taken away, or 

guilt may remain.

It’s your choice.

 

Photograph by Manuel Bonadeo via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Some Friday Readings

 

Invocation Before the Reading of Scripture by Gregory of Nazianzus – D.S. Martin at Kingdom Poets.

 

Of Furniture and Formation – C. Ben Mitchell at Front Porch Republic.

 

Living Wisely in a Digital World – Maree at IndiAanya.

 

The church I led closed a year ago. I’m still not over it – Ryan Burge at Deseret News. 

 

 

Second verse same as the first

After John 9 

Disbelieving that a man

born blind could now see

(healed on the Sabbath, 

no less), they return

to their original questions:

was it him or his parents?

Who sinned? The parents

dodge an answer while

the man himself says

the obvious: I was blind,

and now I see; that’s all

I know. I can’t explain it.

I can’t give you the answer

you want, the narrative

you so desperately want

to maintain. Do you want

the answer that reinforces

your own bias and blindness,

or do you want truth?

 

Photograph by Amir Geshani via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Some Sunday Readings

 

Flashback: What a Wonder Is a Human Being – Tim Challies.

 

Highly Online Missionaries? The Dangers of Digital Escapism – Jonathan Moe at Desiring God.

 

The Uncommon Power of Common Things – Kinley Bowers at Cogitare Magazine.

The odd healing

After John 9 

Dirt and spit are not

the usual medical

treatment for blindness, 

mixed together to make

mud. Directions for use:

anoint the eyes, once,

then rinse in the pool.

Shocking, yes, but

isn’t this how man

was created, taken from

the dust of the ground

and life breathed into

him? 

The first birth – created

from dust and breath.

The second birth – created

from dust and spit.

Man created from dust.

Man born again from dust.

 

Photograph by Punj Parekh via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Some Friday Readings

 

“The Lamp” by Anna Kamienska – D.S. Roberts at Kingdom Poets.

 

The Wonder of the Human Face – Tim Challies.

 

6 Kinds of Hearers of God’s Word – Brian Najapfour at Ligonier.

 

“Remember All the People” by Percy Dearmer – Anthony Esolen at Word & Song.

 

A Time to be Tired – Seth Lewis.

 

A man born blind

After John 9

A choice of answers

is offered as questions

to explain why a man

was born blind – did

he sin or did his parents?

He rejects both, explaining

it is no one's fault; it’s

not a question of blame

or fault. Hardship or

suffering isn’t a punishment;

that’s not how it works.

Endurance and healing and 

relief become the purpose

for which they’re intended:

to display the power of God.

 

Photograph by CDC via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Some Sunday Readings

 

“America the Beautiful,” by Katherine Lee Bates and Samuel Ward – Anthony Esolen at Word & Song.

 

Friendship’s Faithful Wounds – Melissa Edgington at Your Mom Has a Blog.