15 March 2026 #dancepartners
It’s Laetare Sunday, which means that we’ve passed the halfway mark of Lent. We get to REJOICE in the transformation that has occurred in our minds, souls, and bodies. It’s a good time to stop and ponder what spiritual blindness has been brought to the light and where we might need a new candle to find those vices still lurking in the dark. Maybe we need to tweak a few things or shake our Lent up entirely. Go ahead and make a change, if you think it beneficial, for Lent is all about the adventure of renewal, not the Easter destination.
Today’s readings remind me of the Evangelical Catholic session on communication. We learn how to speak so that others will listen… and how to listen so that others will speak. Conversation is a lot like learning a new dance. It’s difficult until you get the hang of it, sometimes neither person hears the rhythm, and upon occasion we just throw our hands in the air and walk away. But when we hang in there, when we put in all the hard work of learning the steps and the art of partnering… conversation is a thing of beauty and grace.
Our readings today are filled with missed cues and mis-steps. The prophet Samuel hears God telling him to anoint a new King of Israel from the sons of Jesse. But Samuel only hears ‘King Saul will kill me.’ Jesse hears that Samuel will anoint one of his sons. But assumes it’s one of his seven mature (and presumably successful) sons. God intervenes in both cases to say something along the lines of, ‘Sorry, you’ve misunderstood me. It’s the internal disposition of the heart, not external appearances.’
Paul writes to the Christians in Ephesus, “Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the disobedient. Do not be associated with them. For you were once in darkness, but now you are in the light of the Lord.” You see, the good Christians of Ephesus are struggling with immorality and impurity in their communities, the direct result of fraternizing and conversing with the pagans at work and in the marketplace. They thought that they could be one person at work and another in Church. Paul intervenes to say something along the lines of, ‘Sorry, you’ve misunderstood me. Be an authentic witness everywhere.’
And Jesus healing the blind man? Whew. Everyone misunderstands the motives of everyone else. The disciples think that the sin of the parents caused the man’s blindness. The neighbors think it’s a different man. The newly-sighted man thinks Jesus is a prophet. The Pharisees think Jesus is a dangerous sinner. The Jews reject that the man was blind from birth, while his parents reject the Author of the miracle. Jesus intervenes to say something along the lines of, ‘Sorry, you’ve misunderstood my purpose here. I’ve come to give sight-to-the-blind physically and spiritually as the Son of God and of son of Mary.’
Sigh. So many conversations at cross-purposes. This week, let’s hear the music of Jesus’ words, the tone of his healings, the sound of his voice, and let him teach us the internal dispositions and joy of an authentic disciple. And have all our conversations be rooted in Love so that our lives are a thing of beauty and grace. #dancepartners