It’s a bit like the challenge to leave behind the things we always knew. Sometimes God is calling us to see things differently. This was Samuel’s challenge when looking for a king and the Pharisees’ challenge in seeing what was in front of their eyes.

This might take a bit of thinking about.

• When was the last time you had to change your mind about someone or something because you began to see things differently? ( Examples may be relatively trivial or go deeper.)
• How do you know about what’s going on in the world?
• How do you decide how reliable from the media might be?

If you are in a group, take time to talk about this.

Bible Readings

1 Samuel 16:1–13

Samuel had a lesson to learn in how to look at things. He himself was called as a young boy. I wonder if that helped him to see?

• What do you think Samuel was looking for in a new king?
• How did he know when he’d found it? Was he right?

John 9:1–41

This about seeing on so many levels – some of them obvious, some more puzzling.

• How did the blind man know who he was seeing?
• What was stopping the Pharisees from seeing?
• Did they get it in the end?

Questions to consider

• How do we know whether we are seeing the true picture in any situation.
• If things are changing around us, whether as individuals or in Church, are we prepared to see it?
• Do we sometimes keep our eyes shut to what God is trying to show us?
• What will make us open our eyes?
• When we think we’ve seen the way forward, how will we check we’ve got it right?

For those working in a group, you may discuss some or all of these questions – or your conversation and prayer may take you somewhere else entirely. But the important thing is to take time to reflect and pray in whatever way is most appropriate for you.

This meditation can be downloaded as a PDF here: LENT-WEEK4