Blindness...Total Darkness

Have you ever imagined yourself being totally blind? I don't think those of us with sight can really even begin to grasp what it would be like. We may be able to wrap our minds around the physical implications, but what about the non-physical ones?

Love. If you were blind, how do you love? Better yet, who do you love? How do you know who you are loving? Do they love you back? What do they look like?

To me, thinking about blindness seems to always bring me back to a giant question mark. Consider the questions above about what it would mean to love if you were blind. I would love to be able to say that my answers would be as follows-

I would love by just providing endless hugs, kisses, and care. I would love all people. I see no races, classes or genders, so I am unbiased. I would know who I am loving through the sound of their voice, and the touch of their skin. It would be so heavenly. I would have faith in their love for me, it would just be that way. It wouldn't matter what they look like...I love them for who they are inside, regardless of whether I can see them or not!

Wait a second. No, wait more than a second. There is nothing wrong with those answers, but where the problems lie are in the lack of those same answers in my life. I have my sight. Does having sight give us some sort of authority to judge based on looks? Should it change who we love? NO. Does it? YES.

I am going to stick with the same idea, but change directions just a bit here, and discuss a problem I have been struggling with lately. I am judgemental. I try my hardest not to be, but I still am. I don't look at someone who is severely overweight and tell them that I don't like them, or turn my back to them. I don't mock cigarette smokers, and tell them how disgusting I think they are. Sometimes I wish I did do those things though. Why you ask? If I made some of the comments that are going through my head, I would be slapped, punched, and kicked right out of town.

Why do I/we not love people, and accept people for who they are right now? If someone is overweight and I refuse to give them the same love that I would give a "beautiful" person, what is that overweight person going to think of me? I will tell you what they are going to think of me..."Joe is an arrogant, judgemental @##$^%^. I hate him. Just because he is a Christian, he thinks he is better than everyone else. They all think that they are better than everyone else. If you aren't a tall, athletic, Caucasian, non-smoker, non-drinker, then you can't be one of them."

I don't blame them. It is me that has a problem...not them. By failing to love, I give Christ a bad name though. I am going to continue to work my hardest to not judge anyone else for any reason. Even if someone else is doing something that I do not believe is correct, I/we need to love them with all of our heart. Like past post's, I think this theme is universal, and can be understood and put into practice by people of any faith. It doesn't take an expert in theology or an ethics professor to realize that we are made to love, and not hate. If you are a Christian, pray for help (for you and me) be more like our savior, Christ. If you are not a Christian, then just search deep inside yourself, and if you feel that you were made to love rather than hate on others...then do it!