We are in the world and the world is in us. Today's mass readings demonstrate that, whether it's the receding of the floodwaters (Gen. 8:6-22) or the gradual healing of a blind man (Mk. 8:22-26), Spirit renews in stages.
By raven and by dove, God gradually restores the face of the earth to its original watery state on the first day of creation, when dry ground appeared: “In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry.” (Gen. 8:13 RSV-CE)
Pairing this story with the stepwise healing of the blind man in Mark suggests that what Spirit works in the world it also works in the human being, one step at a time.
The healing story encapsulates Christian initiation. Touched by Christ, first we begin to see the world more clearly: “I see men; but they look like trees, walking.” (Mk. 8:24 RSV-CE)
Then in fullness and truth: “…and he looked intently and was restored, and saw everything clearly.” (Mk. 8:25 RSV-CE)
Christ works one work, both in the world around us and in the world within. The new person is the world restored. A natural world in balance is human nature restored in the original image of Christ. And the Spirit says of both:
“While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” (Gen. 8:22 RSV-CE)
Scripture quotations are taken from the Catholic Edition of 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
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