Can the blind lead the blind?

The rhetorical question asked by Jesus at the beginning of today’s gospel requires more of reflection than an answer. Imagine if the blind man being led is completely oblivious of the impeded sight of the one who leads him, or if the one leading is unperceptive of the visual impediment of the man he leads. The end would be catastrophic. The only way these two hapless fellows can make headway is by divulging their visual impairment to each other; then they can both pause and think of a way forward. 

Jesus reminds us that we all have a speck in our eyes. I read a story of a man who was supposed to travel by boat and when he got to his cabin, he learned that he will be sharing the cabin with another traveler. Without even taking the time to get to know the other, he concluded that he is a thief. So, the man went to the ship's customer service department and demanded that his golden watch and other valuables be kept for him, claiming he did not trust his cabin mate. The customer service personnel agreed to render the service while at the same time telling him that his companion had already done the same thing. You see, many people behave like these men. They think that others are bad while they are the righteous ones. 

The way forward is to admit our mutual blindness. For this to happen, the speck of “I know it all” needs to fall off. The speck of “I am the most important person” needs to fall off. The speck of “nothing happens without me” needs to fall off. There is a need to listen and learn from each other as the Spirit of God continues to reveal and lead us to the truths of eternal life. This is one of the importance of having a Synod in the church, which gives all members of the Church the opportunity to sincerely listen to one another and help each other in the journey of faith. 

As the Catholic Diocese of Dallas continues her synodal journey, it is important to remind us, once more, that we are all in this journey together as one family of God. It is also important that we all support our bishop and all those charged with the implementation of the outcome of our diocesan synod, which will be rolled out soon. Dear friends in Christ, this journey of two blind men starts with ‘You and I’. It truly begins when we admit our ignorance, listen to one another, learn from each other and commit to learning new truths and realities in the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.