(ThyBlackMan.com) It takes courage to be an American. Whenever the entire world said that something cannot be done, Americans simply smiled and rolled up their sleeves with a steadfast resolve which non-verbally screamed: “Oh, yeah? Watch me work.” When wrongdoing took place before our eyes or within range of our ears, we immediately stood and declared “This is wrong” even as we did whatever was necessary to make things right. In America, we fed those who were hungry… we gave voice to the voiceless… we defended those who were at risk within our society.
It used to be all about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, right? These noble aims were as American as Mom, baseball, and apple pie. Do you remember when the United States of America was, well, a lot more united? I remember those days quite fondly. Alas, things have changed.
Lady Justice isn’t the only one who is blind in America these days. Spiritual blindness here in America isn’t just an epidemic – it’s a pandemic; and the virulence is only growing.
My recent Op-Ed piece “Love Your Enemies” set off a virtual firestorm in and around my hometown. How could an article about the joy which abounds by loving everyone – especially your enemies – somehow become my most polarizing entry by a country mile? I didn’t realize so many folks dressed up as haters for Halloween.
The Holy Bible is filled with examples of individuals and nations who forfeited their potential for greatness because they chose to hate rather than love. They chose to engage in battle rather than negotiate for peace. They settled for the lowest common denominator rather than live up to heavenly attributes. History itself is a landscape littered with the debris of once-prosperous civilizations which fell prey to spiritual blindness.
Spiritual blindness is an adverse condition. This particular type of blindness isn’t just the inability to see with your eyes. It’s manifested when you cannot see with your heart, your mind, or your spirit. Those who spiritually blind cannot see, cannot hear, cannot speak, cannot touch, and cannot feel things which are righteous or based in love or positive. Their spirit of self-sacrifice is quickly replace by an attitude of self-interest. They become consumed by the pursuit of what’s best for me and mine over you and thine.
Think about your workplace this time of year. All it takes is one person with flulike symptoms to sneeze once without covering to potentially spread the flu to everyone in your building. Like a disease, spiritual blindness spreads from person to person, from group to group, from institution to institution. Spiritual blindness can infect your home, your friendships, and your relationships. It can compromise your fellowship, your stewardship, and even your scholarship. Spirit blindness sets forth the logic that someone who advocates for love in a speech or in a column deserves a barrage of hateful, vitriolic language.
Political parties don’t have a monopoly on spiritual blindness. This malady is also permeating cable channels on television. It’s interwoven in many songs played on the radio, articles you read in newspapers and magazines and on the internet. Down is up. Left is right. Bad is good. Lies are true.
Have we lost sight that spiritual blindness serves as the fertile soil for the toxic seeds of racism, ageism, gender bias, and every sort of discrimination to grow? Bad seeds yield bad crops. An individual cannot actively cheer for any President of the United States to fail while claiming to be patriotic. One cannot acknowledge that America has been a nation of immigrants from its inception while working to deny a legal path to citizenship for 11 undocumented immigrants. Only the blind would attempt to do either.
America used to lead the world. Now, we are the world. We are the children. Where is our vision? Whatever became of our courage?
Lady Justice – or the angel of justice – is blind by design. Her symbol is so powerful because she represents impartiality. She is blind because she offers the promise of justice for everyone who stands in a courtroom whether they’re rich or poor, young or old, powerful or powerless, famous or obscure, Black or White.
She is spiritually wise; and her vision extends far beyond eyesight. Proverbs 29:18 of the good book says: “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” Amen. We’re Americans. It’s up to every single one of us to have vision. We can choose to be spiritually blind – or we can choose to truly see. It takes courage to be a friend. A real friend tells you what you need to hear instead of only what you want to hear. As your friend, I’m asking you to open your eyes. Please.
Staff Writer; Arthur L. Jones, III
This talented brother is a local Minister, weekly featured Democratic Op-Ed columnist, non-profit advisor, and sees the Braves winning it all this fall. Rev. Jones welcomes your comments! Please email him directly at: tcdppress@gmail.com.