Blind Spots

I have blind spots.

I don’t always see things clearly even when I think that I do.

How about you?

You check your side mirror. There’s no car in the lane next to you. You change lane. You discover that there WAS a car in the lane next to you!

That’s a blind spot.

You thought you saw things clearly but then discovered that your vision was impaired.

I have blind spots.

I look at life through the lens of my childhood, my gender, my race, my ethnicity and my cultural-norms. When I look at life only through the lens of my experiences, my perspective becomes one-dimensional and I develop blind spots.

I don’t see my unconscious biases.

I don’t see my character flaws.

I don’t see my unhealthy habits.

I don’t see my wounds.

Some blind spots are intentional. Because of fear, prejudice or offence I choose not to see life through the eyes of another.

Some blind spots are accidental. Because of societies norms I am submerged into a way of looking at life that I’ve never thought of challenging.

Whatever their origin, the humble person says, ‘I have blind spots.’ The arrogant person says, ‘I see everything clearly.’

It has been said that there are three levels of learning that every leader needs to embrace:

What we know.
What we know we don’t know.
What we don’t know we don’t know.

Leaders grow when they admit that there is a level 3. That they are not omniscient. That they have blind spots.

Ever wondered why there are plenty of stories of Jesus healing eyes that couldn’t see, but there are no stories of Jesus healing a grumbling appendix? Maybe Jesus’ miracles were not just physical; maybe they were also symbolic.

Jesus wanted people to see clearly.

To the Pharisees who believed they had perfect sight, Jesus said, ‘Blind guides!’

To the humble who knew that their vision was impaired, Jesus said, ‘Receive your sight!’

I have blind spots.

I want to see clearly.

I need people to help me to see what I currently can’t see.

I need to listen carefully to the lived-experiences of others so that I can try to see the world through their eyes.

I need to invite feedback from those who love me.

I need to ask those people, ‘Will you help me to see?’

I need to study books written by people who look different to me.

I need to read Scripture through the lens of another person’s life.

I have blind spots.