Athens was new territory for Paul. A university town, a seat of great learning, sophisticated philosophizing, and insatiable religious curiosity. He wasn’t reticent to challenge Athenian philosophies or pagan practices, but he did so with his own remarkable and sophisticated sensitivity to the audience there.

And yet, from a human perspective, he failed. Just as he’d failed at Thessalonica and Berea immediately before coming to Athens.

Except he hadn’t. Not from the only perspective that matters.

Jesus made some stunning claims about himself. This one may be the most...and the hardest one for some to hear.

Since the beginning, the Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - has been centrifugal...always pushing out, expanding the circle.

We see them again in this week's gospel reading, doing the same old thing.

Only now it involves us.

John 9 tells a well-known story of the healing of a man born blind. It was a miracle, of course, but that’s not really the main thing for John. It was a sign, pointing to something else.

What did it point to?

Perhaps something of the blindness in us all.