What do you see? (Rev Dr Jong Soo Park, Banyule Network)

[1]

I would like to start today’s reflection by showing you a thought-provoking painting.

Norman Rockwell_The problem we all live with_1964

This artwork was painted by Norman Rockwell, an American artist, in 1964. Its title is ‘The Problem We All Live With.’ Have you seen this painting before? What do you feel from this painting? What do you see? Imagine what is going on in the painting.

<Pause>

This painting contains a significant event in American history. The little girl in the picture is Ruby Bridge, the first African-American child to go to the all-white William Frantz Elementary School during the New Orleans school desegregation crisis. The painting describes the first day when Ruby, the 6-year-old, went to the school on 14 November 1960.

Before the first day of the school’s desegregation, almost every white parents did not send their children to the school, and a large crowd of angry white protestors gathered and met Ruby when she entered the school. She faced public humiliation, taunts, and racial slurs even though the four deputy marshals escorted her.

What’s interesting is that Norman, the artist, made us an observer seeing that event from the angle of those protestors. We are watching the little girl walking as the

demonstrators saw Ruby entering the school. It looks as if the artist asked us a question like ‘What would you do to the little girl? Is she the real problem we all live with?’ Since the painting was published in 1964, Norman had to face lots of public criticisms.

Another remarkable point of this painting is the four policemen. They were sent to protect Ruby for a while when she went to school and came home. Norman did not paint their faces intentionally because he wanted to depict faceless governmental authority. Look at their motions. Their movements of leg and arm are the same, which reveals their mechanical way of protecting. Ruby was escorted by them, but she looks alone. Yes, Ruby was alone being rejected and humiliated by the angry protestors, uncaring people and faceless government. No one celebrated her first day of school.

[2]

Interestingly, we can meet another marginalised person in today’s Gospel reading, John 9, which is a man born blind.

El Gresco_Healing of the man born blind_1570

One day Jesus encountered him, and his disciples’ first response was a bit strange. They asked Jesus, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”(9:2, NIV) They thought he was born blind because of his parents’ sin or his. But, Jesus answered his blindness had nothing to do with somebody’s sin, but it was for the works of God to be displayed in him. And then, he healed the man to see.

It was his first time to see the world in his life, but strangely enough, no one celebrated his new life together. His neighbours and those who had formerly seen him begging debated each other whether the man was the same man who used to sit and beg blind. And then, they brought him to the Pharisees as the healing act was done on a Sabbath, the day they could not work.

The Pharisees were not interested in the transformation of his life but just tried to find Jesus’ faults through investigating the healing. They also forced the man who had been blind not to tell the truth, even using his parents. However, they could not shut down his mouth; he proclaimed, “You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. . . . If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” (9:30; 33, NIV)

With this faithful testimony, he was expelled from his community. What a sad story! He was born marginalised in his society, and his happy moment was also entirely neglected by the logic behind politics and religion. The same thing happened to Ruby just because she was born as an African-American in the United States in those days. Not only the blind man and Ruby, but many of the socially weak and alienated around the world are still facing similar situations and undergoing painful life journey.

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Fortunately, however, the story of a man born blind did not end at the spot. Jesus found him, accepted as he was, and comforted his wounded heart. The story of Ruby Bridge did not also finish just as an example of racial discrimination. With visible and invisible supports and prayers from some good people, like Barbara Henry, the only teacher who was willing to teach Ruby in that school, and Lloyd Foreman, the first white parent who broke the white boycott, the event became a significant part of the Civil Rights Movement to overcome hatred and injustice. And, Ruby could grow up to be a human right activist helping the next generations.

Sisters and brothers,

Do you see another Ruby or another man born marginalised in your community? Particularly in this uncertain and challenging timing of the pandemic, who are those living in margin and screaming for help silently around us? Remember that our prayerful comfort and support can make a huge difference in their life journey. Amen.