A couple weeks ago, I saw a blind man in the airport while I was traveling for work. I stood for a moment admiring how he was navigating the crowds with his blind cane. He was moving quickly and with purpose…and that white stick with red reflective tape was swooshing back and forth. As he passed, I noticed a fairly large tattoo on the back of his right calf.
I was taken aback. Why would someone get a tattoo that they wouldn’t ever see? How does he know that it was what he asked for? How would he have known which colors were depicted?
I thought about this gentleman for several days and the reasons for him getting a tattoo. Maybe he had gotten the tattoo and then later became blind; therefore, he’d know exactly what the tattoo looked like. Maybe he never saw it, but it was the same tattoo with a best friend or family member, so it was special from that perspective. Or maybe I shouldn’t be so concerned about why this stranger had a tattoo without sight.
As I’m questing this blind man’s reasons for having a tattoo, it got me thinking about if strangers question our faith and the reasons for our faith. Are people seeing us walking in “blind faith”?
In John 20:29, we read that Jesus told us that blind faith is rewarded with blessings. “Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
As believers in modern America, it’s safe to say none of us have actually seen Jesus in the flesh, as the apostles had. So what does our faith rest on? It rests on our assurances of all things hoped for, that’s what Hebrews 11:1 says. The next scriptures also tell us it’s the conviction of things not seen. All things we hope for and things we have not seen assists with defining “blind faith.”
At yet…blind faith is a super hard approach to convince an unbeliever about the gift of grace through Christ’s death. Subsequently we must have a plan ready to assist others with knowing Jesus in a way in which they also can exhibit blind faith. Scripture tells us to prepare a defense in order to tell the Good News that gives us hope.
“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” ~1 Peter 3:15 (ESV)
I’m sure if I had the time, or the moment of bravery, I could have asked the blind man with the tattoo his reasons behind his ink. And he likely would have had a wonderful story behind it.
I’m hopeful that if someone were to ask me about my blind faith, they would find that I had a planned approach that defend that faith while I gave them the story behind the greatest hope ever provided. Jesus Christ.
If you don’t have that hope…if you haven’t given your life to Christ…if you don’t have the blind faith, please message Erin or I at Iron Porch. We would love to chat with you about the plan God has provided us.
~Emily
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made of things that are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.” ~Hebrews 11:1-40 (ESV)
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