Day 12: "Who Sinned"

Faith in the Midst of a Pandemic

A series of daily reflections for people of faith

by Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor

WEEK TWO: THURSDAY 26 MARCH 2020

“Who sinned?”

“As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that this man was born blind?’’”  John 9:1

Blame  - that’s really what the disciples were asking: ‘Who is to blame for this man’s blindness?’

From time immemorial human beings have sought to locate the cause of calamity and illness, assigning blame in antiquity to malevolent unseen forces needing to be placated through ceremonies and sacrifices. While we are a tad more refined today, we still seek to locate and place blame for similar malevolent unseen forces that cause us harm and which we cannot control, even if we can now name their identity: a microscopic virus. 

The need to locate or assign fault is embedded in our DNA as human beings – it’s in our family tree all the way back to Adam. When God queried Adam regarding the mess in the Garden, Adam defaulted to faulting first Eve and then God: “’The woman you put here with me – she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it.” Genesis 3:12. Notice Adam’s need to blame someone else – his wife, and ultimately, God: “The woman you gave me…” 

Who sinned – who’s to blame? In the current uncontrollable coronavirus in our country the propensity for blaming is front and center: it’s another country, it’s the other political party, it’s the government, it’s Satan and his demons, or it’s God himself visiting some sort of cosmic punishment on a rebellious creation, yet the question remains, and none of the answers being proffered address the crisis and none, really, are correct.  

Here’s the bottom line in Jesus’ response to the question: “’Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.’” John 9:2-3. Jesus’ words echo the promise of God in Romans 8:28, and remind us to look, not for blame, but for God being glorified in some way in all we are experiencing during this time.

Reflective scripture: Romans 8:28

“And we know that in all things God works together for the good of those who love him…” 

Reflective hymn: Glorify Thy Name (#9)

Father, we love You, we worship and adore You, glorify Your name in all the earth

Jesus, we love You, we worship and adore You, glorify Your name in all the earth

Spirit, we love You, we worship and adore You, glorify Your name in all the earth

Glorify Your name, glorify Your name, glorify Your name in all the earth.

Reflective prayer: write your own