Our political and other kinds of blindness
In today’s gospel, the evangelist St. Mark (Chapter 10, Verses 46 to 52) tells us of the blind Timaeus sitting along the streets of Jericho, waiting for Jesus to pass by. And when Jesus finally came, he pleaded for him to heal his blindness. This passage should touch all us Christians and lead us into a deep reflection. We should all be able to realize the many kinds of blindness we suffer from today. And, at the end, we should be able to pray for healing of all such blindness.
First, the most relevant today is political blindness. Why do we keep on supporting and voting candidates, who blatantly and repeatedly lie to us, callously rob government coffers, and who have not done anything good for our people and nation? Why do we keep on listening to the same outmoded and hackneyed political slogans and traditional gimmicks? We remain blind to the age-old political exploitation of the naiveté and ignorance of the electorate. We allow ourselves to remain captives to the schemes, maneuvers, and tricks of transactional politics. We allow ourselves to remain blind to the many abuses, dishonesty, corruption, and plunder of our national treasury. It is high time to pray for healing and for the Lord to let us see the truth. Unlike Timaeus, we do not realize our blindness and do not have the longing to see reality.
Second, we suffer from economic blindness. The poor are taxed to death and the rich have a thousand and one ways to cheat the government of revenues. They do not only avoid taxation, they rob the money collected for public services. We are blind to the facts that rice and other prime commodities are being controlled by cartels that create artificial shortages and manipulate the law of supply and demand. They make a killing in the market while the poor continue to suffer. The tenants are being massacred and the laborers contend with low wages. The rich continue to oppress the poor and the government is unable to humanize economic forces and equalize the playing field.
Third, we are socially blind. We do not realize how the farmers, fisher folks, laborers, and servants suffer. We are blind to the sufferings of the millions of homeless living in the sidewalks, esteros, and shanties that expose them to diseases, disasters, crimes, and immorality. They have no access to clean water, quality education, and affordable medical and hospital care. We remain blind to the pains and the anguish of millions, while a few wallow in wealth and luxury.
Today, as we hear Mass, we should ask the Lord to open our eyes, ears, and mouths. We should wake up to the many painful truths around us. Like Timaeus, we need to experience our own Jericho, from the hands of the Lord. We need to be healed from our age-old blindness, neglect and indifference. Evil triumphs only because we, the good men, do nothing.
- Latest
