Where does that leave those of us who have struggled along our faith pilgrimages with doubts and fears – sometimes feeling very close to God, while at other times only too keenly aware of his absence?

Are there lessons we can learn from the Bible that will help when the faith journey is all up hill, with no crest in sight?

We are all too familiar with the giants of faith like Abraham, Joseph, Ruth and Esther – and so many others who never seem to have any doubts, no matter what difficulties they encounter. But do we sufficiently remember “Doubting” Thomas or the fearful Peter, who actually denied even knowing Christ, only to again become a leader among the apostles?

We should also consider the numerous Psalms that cry out to God and wonder where he is. Some of the best examples might be 10, 13, 22 and 74. See particularly psalm 13:1-2:“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all day long? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Given the events surrounding the birth and ministry of John the Baptist, related in the first chapter of Luke, it is quite a shock to see him sending disciples to Jesus in chapter 7, to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Previous to this, John had fully embraced his ministry as Christ’s forerunner, had baptized him and seen the Holy Spirit descend on him, and had specifically pointed him out as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John. 1:29). Yet we find him subsequently expressing these doubts about him. If such a thing could happen to John the Baptist, is it any wonder that we too sometimes experience a lack of faith?

In 1 Kings 19, we find the great prophet Elijah, who, with God’s direct intervention, has just won an astounding victory over the prophets of Baal in the preceding chapter, now filled with fear and deep depression. Notwithstanding God’s repeated protection and provision for him, he is now petrified at the thought of possible revenge by the wicked Queen Jezebel. Even after escaping possible capture at her hands, he actually lays down and asks God to let him die! Only when God then sends ravens to bring him food does his spirit revive.

How many times have you confronted an overwhelming circumstance where you were doubtful of any possible help from God, despite many past examples, only to have a completely unexpected resolution suddenly appear? How much we are so often like the father of the apparently epileptic boy, who is healed by Jesus in Mark 9; when asked if he really believes that the Lord can cure his son, he responds, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

Indeed, we are blessed to have a God who is a God of second chances: “For he knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust” (Psalm 103:14). We are also promised that “a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench” (Isaiah 42:3).  For those of us who still struggle along the journey of faith – even when discouraged – it is God’s gentle hand which will lead us to our true and eternal home.

The post We have a God of second chances appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

A deeper reading of the scriptures, however, reveals to us that each and every person, being a member of the body of Christ, has a purpose in his kingdom. God leaves no one out who is willing to follow him. We all need to remind ourselves of this fact, to help the kingdom of God come to fruition on earth – a hope we pray for each time we recite the Lord’s Prayer.

Early in July, I was privileged to attend, as a Canadian visitor, the annual convention of the American Council of the Blind in Las Vegas. This organization, more than 50 years old, has among its members lawyers, teachers, government employees and many other blind people who are successfully working in a number of professions.

The organization has changed what it means to be blind for thousands of America’s blind citizens. Along with another group, the National Federation of the Blind, it has extended the rights and status of the blind far beyond what exists in Canada.

In Canada, unfortunately, the situation is just not as positive for the blind.  While there are certainly very significant issues facing the blind in the U.S., blind people there have been able to organize, confront and overcome many of these concerns. Chief among these, and absolutely pivotal, is the constructive self-image that blind people need to have in order to succeed. (Indeed, in one of his most thought provoking speeches at the conference, Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, the former president of the National Federation of the Blind, urged blind people to see their blindness as just a characteristic or, at worst, an inconvenience that should not prevent them from having successful and fulfilled lives.)

There has been little leadership among blind people themselves in Canada to establish a truly effective self-expression and public advocacy. Instead of fostering a public recognition that blind people need productive employment, for the very same reasons that everybody else does, and that those who are not able to obtain work should at least be provided with a sufficient pension to live with dignity, there is a culture of simply giving them limited rehabilitation services based on charity through such organizations as the CNIB.

This dilemma is succinctly described in a groundbreaking analysis by Graeme McCreath, in his brilliant book, The Politics of Blindness: from Charity to Parity. Mr. McCreath, who is fortunate among the blind to actually have a successful career, dispels the many myths about blindness – and the significant damage that Canadian society has forced the blind to undergo by preferring to view them as objects of pity and charity, rather than capable, worthy of respect and simply wishing to live a full and normal life.

Last summer, when Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne publicly called for an enquiry into the issue of missing aboriginal women, I wrote to her, asking if she might look into the chronic 80 per cent unemployment rate among the blind and the consequent egregious poverty in which the vast majority of them are thus forced to languish. She has never answered my letter. In today’s Ontario, it seems, the blind are quite invisible – especially to their own Premier.

Just like everyone else, blind people are individuals. One reflection of this is the existence of a Blind Pride group within the American Council of the Blind for LGBT blind people.  I also met a man, born in China, who represented that country at the World Blind Union meeting in 1996, which I also attended, and who now teaches English in San Francisco.

The kingdom of God is within each of us; it grows there day by day. Let us continue to work and pray together for its realization over all the earth, till righteousness reigns everywhere.

The post The blind are people, too appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.