Three Perspectives on Blindness

Straight AheadI was reading an article in a magazine this week that made me consider various perspectives on blindness. It was a magazine published by an organization for the blind. The article was actually a reprint of a newspaper item about a man who is totally blind. His perspective on blindness was a bit odd to me; but it reflects the view of this particular organization--the National Federation of the Blind. He said that blindness "is neither good nor bad; it just is." This organization also has the habit of saying things like, "It's respectable to be blind." These kinds of comments make no sense to me. Certainly, I don't think that blind people are, by definition, inferior to other people just because they're blind. (I could hardly take that stance, since I myself am totally blind and am seeking to live and work daily among sighted people." To say however that it's "respectable to be blind," or, even worse, that "blindness is neither good nor bad," seems illogical. Blindness, looking purely from the physical and natural perspective, is a limitation. It is a handicap. Surely, we are not to assume that it isn't preferable to be sighted! If this man had the opportunity to have 20/20 vision tomorrow morning, would he not jump at the opportunity? To say, as this organization does, that blindness is no more important than the color of one's hair or one's body build is hardly a realistic way to look at such a physical limitation. It's hard to take people or organizations seriously when they seem to think that blindness is just a neutral characteristic in a person's life! Of course, another way to look at blindness would be to say that it's a total tragedy, that it takes away all hope of happiness or productive and meaningful activity. Of course, that isn't true, either. Many families are overly protective of their blind children or other blind friends or family members, not wanting them to be hurt and fearing that they will inevitably fail in the competitive environment of the sighted world. And of course, when we expect to fail, or when we expect others to fail, and do nothing to prepare for any other outcome, failure wil usually be the result. But the failure will probably not be because of the blindness. It will be because of the other factors that went into the whole life story. Blindness requires that we find other ways of doing things, creative and resourceful strategies to work around the problems blindness poses. The visual limitation does not, however, prevent us from taking part in most normal activities of daily life; and it need not prevent us from being successful in most work or home environments. There is a third perspective from which to consider blindness. That of course is the Christian perspective. From this perspective, and only from this perspective, we can view blindness as a positive good, as actually being a gift from God. My blindness was given to me by God in order to glorify His name and accomplish His particular purposes for my life and, through my life, to be a blessing to others. This viewpoint takes seriously the biblical doctrine of the sovereignty of God and allows us to realize that God assumes the ultimate responsibility for the outcome of His plans. To say that blindness is neither good nor bad as a physical characteristic is truly bizarre and incomprehensible to me; but to say that blindness is an unmitigated disaster, extinguishing all hope and joy is unnecessary and a denial of the good purposes of God for one who is a Christian. The only acceptable way to think about my blindness as a Christian, difficult though this often is, can only be an affirmation and thanksgiving that God has given me this blindness as a gift and then has called me into the ministry to share this gift with the worshippers whom I serve as pastor, teacher and preacher. I am very thankful to a very dear friend who is an ordained minister of the Episcopal Church for helping me to see this third perspective in the past few months. In the natural world, I don't know whether it's respectable to be blind. I'm not even sure what that would mean. As a Christian, however, it is my delight to seek to do the will of my heavenly Father. If that includes being blind, it's more than respectable!