Sometimes I think I'm to #blame for my own #expectations I set for #myself in #ways that others either see as #misgivings outright, or just don't #understand as such.

This #bothers me because I don't try to be that out there.

Who Is to Blame? [Sermon]

Mary and I like to watch YouTube videos.

One YouTube channel is Doctor Glaucomflecken.

He creates funny videos about hospitals, doctors, specialties, insurance, and healthcare in general. I particularly enjoy the rivalry between the nephrologist – a kidney doctor – and the cardiologist – a heart doctor.

Doctor Glaucomflecken is, in reality, Will Flannery, an practicing ophthalmologist in Seattle Washington. He also has a series called “GlaucTalk” where he and his wife talk about eye issues, among other topics.

Let’s go to God in prayer.

God of wisdom, may the words that I speak, and the ways they are received by each of our hearts and minds, to help us to continue to grow into the people, and the church, that you have dreamed us to be.

Amen.

Samuel is sent to find a new king among Jesse’s sons. He sees seven of Jesse’s sons. And God says no to them all. And finally he gets Jesse to send for the youngest son, David, whom God tells Jesse to anoint.

“for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7b, NRSVue

People are complex systems. The human body has around 30 to 40 trillion cells. That’s a 3 or 4 with thirteen zeroes after it:

30,000,000,000,000

30 trillion seconds is over 950 thousand years.

That’s a very big number, but there are at last as many bacterial cells in and on our bodies, many of which are essential to our survival. They help digest our food. They help protect our skin.

When systems have that many parts, there are going to be differences in how each system works.

The actual number of functional genes in the human body are about 20,000. That may not seem like a lot, but if every gene was simply “yes” or “no,” that would create a number of combinations for which we do not even have a name.

It’s around 4 with 6,020 zeroes after it.

And many genes have more than just two possibilities.

And then there are the environmental factors: what’s going on with mom while the fetus is growing? What does the baby experience after being born: food, sleep, sounds, sights, smells?

So while we often look for a single cause for why one person is different from another, it’s likely a mix of a lot of factors. Even when it is a single factor, it’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

Before we knew about genes, before we knew about cells and bacteria, before we knew much about environmental factors, we often thought that difficulties were divine punishment.

If the rains wouldn’t come, we must not have pleased God. If the rains came and flooded everything, we must have made God angry. If someone got sick, they must have sinned.

And if a person was born with a disability, maybe it was the parents who sinned.

So in our Gospel reading, we have a man who was born blind. His disciples asked him,

“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

John 9:2, NRSVue

This man was born with a disability, and the only thing the disciples can think of is “who is to blame?” And as Doctor Glaucomflecken could tell you, there are many, many causes of blindness.

So Jesus breaks the system by telling the disciples

Jesus answered,

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned;

he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.”

John 9:3, NRSVue

Then Jesus spits on the ground, and spreads the resulting mud on the man’s eyes.

Dr. Glaucomflecken would not recommend this treatment.

But Jesus tells the man to wash in the pool of Siloam, and the man’s sight returns.

It’s valuable to know what causes disability, because when we know, we can try to avoid the causes. Some of us will, some of us won’t, must of us will avoid some things.

But when it comes to treatment, we don’t try to assess blame to determine whether to help.

You may have seen a recent episode of The PITT what deals with this, where someone who was very large was receiving some negative attitude before it was revealed that his weight was due, in large part, to other issues he had experienced.

When someone is suffering, the first question is not “how did the suffering happen?”

The first question is “how can I help?”

After Jesus heals the man, the neighbors want to know what’s going on. And instead of loving their neighbor, they bring him to the religious leaders. And instead of rejoicing, the religious leaders interrogate him, and are concerned that work had been done on the Sabbath. Somehow, giving sight to a man who was born blind is less important than observing the Sabbath.

I have known observant Jews who would not place the Sabbath above the care and well-being of people.

So first we have a question of why the man is blind, and then a question if when is the right time to help.

But neither of those questions was important to Jesus.

The right reason to help was that the man needed help. The right time to help was now, because Jesus could help.

If we’re going to be followers of Jesus, we need to let this story be an example to us.

So my challenge this week is to be aware of times when someone needs help and we have the capacity to be that help.

May we let go of the question of how they came to need help, and whether they are worthy. May we let go of the question of whether this is the right time to help.

May we instead recognize that humans are complex systems that sometimes work in unexpected ways, and sometimes need a little help.

Just as they are.

And just as we are.

Amen.

Let’s sing NCH 207 Just As I Am

* Scripture quotations marked NRSVue are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. https://www.friendshippress.org/pages/about-the-nrsvue

* Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James version of the Bible.

[teeth grinding]

People sure love to accuse you of being "triggered" when you call out their manipulative bullshit, don't they?

I told Grandma that I had a tummy ache and went up to our house to go take a bath. The walk up the hill was unbearable. Every breath felt like a serrated spear was being twisted in my pelvis.
#surgery #blame #pcos #appendix #family #survivor

https://survivorliteracy.com/2026/03/12/43-my-first-surgery-5/

They did ask me how I knew the things I knew, through gritted teeth. I didn't feel like I could tell them. I told them I was sorry for lying.
#outcast #shame #TMI #blame #survivor

https://survivorliteracy.com/2026/03/12/12-inappropriate-revisited-4/

Human Problems: It’s Not Always The Technology’s Fault

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.techdirt.com/2026/03/10/human-problems-its-not-always-the-technologys-fault/

YOU SAID IT: Blame it on the boobirds

https://misryoum.com/us/canada-news/you-said-it-blame-it-on-the-boobirds/

Article contentBLAME IT ON THE BOOBIRDSYou can place Canada’s gold-medal game men’s hockey loss squarely on the shoulders of the “Elbows Up Brigade.”Article contentCanada played well; I have nothing against the team. What I will say is that this loss...

#YOU #SAID #Blame #the #boobirds #US_News_Hub #misryoum_com

Based on a character from the Manga "Blame!": Safeguard Sanakan.

Converted from a Necron warrior. Reposing, cutting away material, adding more, scratch-building and kit-bashing.

Also, if you are into Manga, or art in general, Blame! is worth a look.

#SafeguardNecron #Necron #Warhammer40k #Conversion #MiniaturePainting #Blame! #Safeguard #Sanakan