I was in my truck at a stop sign, waiting to cross a somewhat busy street. Everything looked clear. I started to pull out but when I looked back to my right there was a car not twenty feet away. I immediately stopped about a quarter of the way into the street and the car went by. As I wondered how I had missed the car, I realized it had been in my blind spot—the strut connecting the roof to the truck body comes down at just the right angle to “hide” an oncoming car for a fraction of a second. Fortunately, the problem is easy to deal with, you just look to your right multiple times as you pull out. A vehicle that is in your blind spot during one look won’t be there the next look.
Just as every vehicle has blind spots, so does every person. It’s part of the human condition (i.e., the Johari window). People can have blind spots in regard to their faith (think of Saul of Tarsus). Parents can have blind spots in regard to their children. People have them in regard to their favorite team (as well as their least favorite team). In short, the more passionate you are about something, the easier it is to have a blind spot.
The good news is that most blind spots can be recognized and remedied. The bad news is it isn’t easy. Our emotions (especially pride), can stand in the way of us seeing things as they really are. Sometimes it is our will that gets in the way–we simply don’t want to face reality, so we choose to settle for something less.
It takes character to confront our blindness.
But this is just what Jesus calls us to do. He spoke of Himself as the truth (John 14:6). Therefore, seeking the truth isn’t to be thought of as some abstract philosophical quest–it is the pursuit of Jesus! As disciples, we must be committed to allowing God to open our eyes to our blindness whether it be religious traditions or cultural trends. Those who follow Jesus cannot be lukewarm about truth!
Where do we start? We begin by listening to God as He speaks to us through His word. That means we do our best to leave our preconceptions behind. We don’t open the Bible to confirm our prejudices, but to find truth. If we’re doing it right, it will make us uncomfortable and cognizant of changes that need to be made in our lives. But we’ll also find liberation from things that have long stunted our growth and darkened our vision (John 8:31-31). May we always remember that Jesus is the truth, not us, and live humbly with eyes open for blind spots.
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 