My husband Bob needs to have cataracts removed. Speaking from experience that’s fairly easy surgery nowadays. He needed to have a growth removed on one eye, however, before the surgeon could do the cataracts. So last week I took him in for the surgery. It was supposed to be a 15-minute procedure. I started to worry after 90 minutes. Finally, he came out of the eye surgeon’s office, grimacing, wearing a large eye patch. The growth was more complicated to remove than originally thought and he had a few stitches in his eye under a pressure bandage. Not a happy camper.
He complained the next few days, and I can’t say I blame him. His good eye kept watering in sympathy and he didn’t like light. So, he sat in the dark. He said he wished he’d never decided to have the cataracts removed and started this process; he could see just fine the way he was. Then he asked me to get him that “white and brown” blanket. I would have, except we don’t have a “white and brown” blanket. We do have a “white and lavender” blanket. I realized then just how bad his vision is. He won’t realize it until the cataracts are removed in a few weeks.
I often have people ask me how others can be so blind to truth, how so many can believe the lies that are often propagated in our culture. I remind them of what Paul wrote to the Corinthians so long ago – his words still hold true today. “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 NIV]
Let’s remember, however, that even though the “god of this age” continually seeks to blind the eyes, God has a remedy, and His remedy involves believers. We are to share the Good News that we have received: “For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” [2 Cor 4:5 NIV]
We have been called to scatter the seed of the Gospel of Peace. We have been called to love people, to be humble servants of truth. We are called to kindness and compassion mixed with gentle courage. In other words, we are called to present Jesus Christ as Lord by our actions and our words.
