Rev. Dr. Bary R. Fleet - Pastor
May 6, 2007 – 5th Sunday of Easter
ACTS 11:1-18
Revelation 21:1-6
John 13:31-35

Face Blindness

Prospagnosia.  I don’t think anyone here has it.  This is the inability to recognize faces.  We say things like, I might not remember a name, but I’ll never forget a face.  Well, what if we couldn’t remember faces … even our own? 

People with this disorder – also known as “face blindness” lack the ability to recognize faces.  They continually lose friends, because when they meet them on the street or in social settings, they simply don’t remember the face.  So, they ignore people they’ve met … and are deemed to be “stuck up” or too self-centered to even say “Hello!”

People with this disorder can see eyes and ears and noses and mouths as well as anyone, but they can’t remember the “set” of a person’s face.  It seems to relate to a particular fold in the brain.  There are varying degrees of this:  some people can memorize a limited number of faces – much like we might memorize a particular rock. 

There is no known cure, but folks can learn to compensate by recognizing how a person walks, or their body shape or their voice.

Think about how different our lives would be if we couldn’t remember any faces … not those of our family members – or even our own.

The New Testament actually has a couple of incidents that don’t technically qualify, but are in the ball park:  Remember the incident in the Garden on Easter morning when Mary didn’t recognize Jesus’ face – or even his voice, until he spoke her name.  Then there was the experience of the disciples on the Road to Emmaus and the disciples didn’t recognize Jesus’ face … not until later in the evening when he broke bread with them..  Luke says “their eyes were kept from recognizing him.” (Luke 24:16)

What I want us to think about for a few minutes today is the extent to which the world might have a severe case of Prospagnosia, particularly when it comes to Christians, when it comes to followers of Christ.  Interestingly, Jesus anticipated this, because – at the Last Supper – he gave them/us that he loves them and that they/we should love one another.  Actually, it isn’t a new commandment, because we can find in Leviticus (19:18) “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 

But here is the “new” part:  Jesus intended that our love be the defining feature. 

Wouldn’t it be great if that were the defining feature of our lives … the vastness and depth of our love for one another?  Jesus doesn’t ask that we define ourselves by a certain set of beliefs … but by behavior. 

This is tough business! 

After the awful tragedy at Virginia Tech, there were 32 stones set out to memorialize the 32 students who were killed.  Then a 33rd stone appeared – this one was for the shooter.  Then that stone disappeared.  The person who set it out came forward and said she wanted to acknowledge that 33 lives were lost.  Her rationale was that – for her – ALL life is sacred, even the lives of those who do horrendous things, and if we start separating into groups the lives that are sacred and the lives that aren’t then we are no better than any one who has participated in genocide.  This business of forgiving our enemies … of loving those who persecute us … tough stuff!

Sometimes we have difficulty loving because we know people too well.  We know their flaws.  We know their human side … we are quick to decide who is worthy of our love, as if that is a criterion. 

How far are we willing to extend ourselves for others? 

The writer of John 1 says “Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.”  (1st John 3:18)

Gandhi once observed, “I like your Christ, but I do not like your Christians.  Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” 

The judgment stings … My invitation to us today is two-fold:

The first is to know that we are already loved, that God loves us unconditionally and forgives us unconditionally.

The second is to make an effort this week to boost our reputation for being loving!  After all, we want the world to be able to recognize us!

This sermon is credited to Homiletics, Vol. 19, No. 3, May / June 2007.

The scripture lessons for next week are:  Acts 16, Psalm 67, Revelation 21 & 22 and John 14.       

SERMON IN A SACK:  A magnet.  Talk about how magnets are “created” by exposing them to electricity – then they attract all sorts of metals.  We can be magnetic by exposing ourselves to Jesus, and then becoming attractive to all sorts of people.