And she was blinded by the light
Oh cut loose like a deuce, another runner in the night
Blinded by the light
She got down but she never got tight, but she’ll make it alright. — Bruce Springsteen, Blinded By the Light
Most of you may not remember that “The Boss” wrote the lyrics, instead remembering the lyrics and cover by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band that hit number one on the charts. What you may not know is that Manfred Mann’s Cover was the only number one of Springsteens illustrious career.
It is said the Moses was temporarily blinded by the light emanating from the burning bush. Saul/Paul too was blinded by the light. There are many stories over the centuries that talk about being temporarily blinded by the light of God.
Being blinded permanently or temporarily is usually considered a tragedy, but in many of the old stories temporary blindness leads to revelation and positive change. I remember when I was Mayor spending a day with a blind fold on. It was part of a project to increase awareness of the handicaps for the blind, and the experience was enlightening.
What is it about human nature that causes us to need to experience tragedy before we open our eyes? There are a million examples of this in the world, and if you examine your life I bet you can come up with a few. A good friend commits suicide makes one acutely aware of depression. A drunk driver takes the life of a child and we learn to use a designated driver. We ignore our health and disease creates sickness and pain that causes us to change our habits. Over and over we are often blinded and then healed by the light of knowledge and experience.
As we begin our new year and to make our resolutions for the year consider the lessons of pervious years and don’t be blinded by the light of promises that can’t be kept.
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