Miracles Do Happen

...from Padraig Ó Tuama's book again, a story from the Corrymeela Community in Northern Ireland:

"I once asked a community member, Dave, who is blind what he thinks about this idea of blindness as a metaphor for lack of insight. He said, 'Don't use my impairment as a metaphor for your ignorance.'"

Though we who are sighted struggle mightily to understand literal blindness (in our humble opinions), Dave's words speak adamantly to the truth that a miracle happened in this story from John's gospel, and pussy footing around the literal truth by using figurative language makes those of us who are sighted seem blind.

"I do believe; help thou my unbelief" comes to mind.

Sadao Watanabe, Christ Healing the Blind (1979).