And as Jesus passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?” Jesus answered, “It is neither that this man sinned nor his parents; but it was in order that the works of God might be displayed in him.” John 9:1-3

Today’s missionaries serving among the poor could easily take on the disciples’ perspective and ask: “Teacher, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born in the inner city?

…born in a squatter community?” .
..born addicted to crack?”
…born suffering from AIDS?”

The world’s instinct in confronting need is to analyze and lay blame. We can be tenacious in pursuing that tack, in crafting just the right questions:

“Who sinned, the Democrats or the Republicans, that this man . . . ?”
“Who sinned, the landowners or the working class . . . ?”

But Jesus modeled a different response to need. Standing sure-footedly in the reality of the Kingdom, Christ side-stepped the counterfeit debate and its analytical cul-de-sacs and recast the scenario of the blind man as one of hopeful opportunity. He did not fall into the narrow view of the blind man as a problem to be fixed, a victim to be vindicated, or a culprit to be condemned. Instead, Jesus simply reached out to the blind man, committing Himself to a ministry of compassionate presence, not dispassionate distance. In His words and actions, He showed that the tragedies and hurts of the world are not first to be reasoned, but treated.

In InnerCHANGE, we live and minister Good News among the poor. We recognize that our presence among the needy precedes our analysis, that our active compassion satisfies where answers fall short. We commit to move beyond blaming the system to look for God’s Kingdom-opportunity amidst pressing need.

As missionaries, we are servants clutching at Jesus’ garments as He moves out with unhesitating compassion among the needy.
As prophets, we press for justice, in a world (and, unfortunately, sometimes as a Church) that is scripted to pass judgment.
As contemplatives, we savor God’s love, reminding ourselves that unless we abide in His presence, we can do nothing.