“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” – 2 Cor 4:4

David Bosch in his work, Transforming Mission, explains six major societal paradigm shifts with a very helpful link between the transition from the baby-boom generation to Generation X and the transition from the Enlightenment era to the postmodern era. However, God provided the spiritual paradigm through Jesus Christ for the sinner that cut across all the societal paradigm shifts. Blindness well-illustrates man’s spiritual and political darkness and lost-ness. The truth is that like the man born blind, we are blind until we come to Jesus and believe.

The story of the man born blind told in John chapter 9 is one of the dramatic and renewing missional events in the Scripture. Throughout this story, the man born blind represents utter simplicity and elegant truth of our generation, a generation at the mercy of the political elites and secular seductions. God operates by grace initiated through Jesus Christ. Without grace we see no Christ, we are dead, lost, blind and know no truth, but God Who sees us, comes in love and grace through Jesus Christ to bestows spiritual and physical sight on us (Jn 3:16). Jesus provides generational hope in place of generational blindness and lost-ness.

The world immediate and easy classification is always based on human weakness rather than strength. A person born blind is helpless hence, categorised by the society and our daily culture as a beggar roaming the street of the world. Are mothers happy today watching their children drowning and dying in millions while trying to cross to Europe via Central Mediterranean. Mothers in developing countries are crying and groaning seeing their children dying of hunger and poverty. Mothers in Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Somalia and other war ravaged nations are crying with unending sorrow watching their children dying in pain and agony. John chapter 9 provides a solid, theological reflection and insightful, missional application and hope for the mothers of the helpless ‘blind generation.’

The helpless ‘blind generation,’ in the midst of secular hurricane, an intricate political, social and economic systems appears to be lost and are not able to discern or determine where the hurricane is heading next. The good news to all mothers is that, God has not given up on your sons and daughters physical, career, marital, economic and spiritual helplessness.

Nothing can comfort the mothers of ‘blind generation’ except God of all comfort (2 Cor 1:3-7). The comfort for the mother of the man born blind took place on the day the blind man had a personal encounter with Jesus. When Jesus met the man, his disciples took the man as object lesson, treating him ‘not as a man, but as an example, or a proof text, for their own theology.’ Their observation quickly summed up the society mindset about the parental background of the man, they asked Jesus, “who sinned-this man or his parents-that he was born blind?” Just as we do today, the disciples quickly diverted Jesus attention ‘from the need at hand, which is the man himself, to a theological or philosophical,’ argument, debate and discourse.

Lent provides us a new lens to interpret human need or suffering rather than adopting or secularised belief system and democratic agenda. The hope for mothers of blind generation is not about the cause but the cost paid through Jesus Christ for our liberation. The blindness of sin, poverty, divorce, broken marriages, divided democratic system, and physical illness goes beyond human blame game bearing in mind the limitation of what our reason, technology and philosophy could do. The ‘blind generation,’ presents opportunity and a chance to show and recognise God’s work in the world. God’s work and revelation goes beyond generational sin, curse or political moral agenda. Our needs are opportunity so that the marvellous works of God can be shown before the political, economic, and religious experts. The restored ‘blind generation’ with their testimony are potentially agent of change and revival. They are to project new life through Jesus Christ into the divided human situation.

The blind generation with the testimony of blind faith points to the transformation in Christ with potential for the world to walk in the light of the gospel. The hope for mothers of blind generation reminds us that we must blindly trust Jesus, even in the face of delay and oppositions. Remember, delay is not denial. Lent reminds us that we serve the God of the second chance and regardless of our past helplessness, He hears answers our prayers in His own way, method and in His own time. Lent provides opportunity for us to move from ‘blind generation,’ from darkness into light with ‘blind faith’ in Jesus Christ. Lent calls us to believe when we cannot see. Lent is a time to overcome and solve  a serious problem, the god of this age facing the church and keeping many blind to the truth about God (2 Cor 4:4).

Prayer: O Lord, help me to believe when l cannot see.