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Deaf and mute Mark 7:31-37  I know at least a little bit about deafness. You see, my spouse of now 39 years (today just happens to be our anniversary!) has ‘significant’ hearing loss (significant is a euphemism for “a whole bunch”). Through Dottie, I share in what it means to be deaf in a society which is largely insensitive to that disability. No matter how often some folks are told, they simply refuse to accept or respect the fact that Dottie cannot hear them when they speak softly, speak when behind her, speak with lack of clarity, speak in crowds when there is much background noise. For them, the problem is Dottie’s to deal with, and they’re not going to make any adjustments to their behavior – period, end of story. Wonder if those folks do the same when they deal with a person who is blind, or someone who’s in a wheelchair? “It’s your problem that you can’t see, or that you can’t walk – why should I care, or put myself out for you?”  Brings all sorts of questions to my mind about simple decency, respect, simple caring for one another.  Jesus – as seems to always be the case – provides wonderful clarity. In the passage from Mark, some caring folks bring a person to Jesus who is not only deaf, but also has a speech impediment. (The two often go together, in case you were wondering.) These good friends beg Jesus for his healing touch, and Jesus agrees to do so – but only in private. Jesus puts his fingers into the man’s ears, touches and spits on his tongue, looks to God, and heals the man of his disabilities. Even though Jesus urgently requests that this be kept as a private matter, the good friends simply cannot contain themselves, proclaiming the good news: He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak. (7:37)  I do not have the expectation that Jesus will miraculously heal Dottie’s hearing. I do, however, have some other hopes and dreams. OK, call me naïve if you will, but I am convinced that if we truly listen to the stories of Jesus, other forms of healing will take place. We will more deeply love and care for one another, you see, and that will change the way we deal with persons who may be deaf, or blind, or confined to a wheelchair. We will joyfully acknowledge that each and every one of us comes with many limitations and shortcomings (I have a couple myself, in case you hadn’t noticed). We will joyfully acknowledge that our love for one another is stronger and greater just because we know we need each other, ‘abled’ and ‘disabled’, weak and strong!  Then we can be like the real heroes of this story from Mark, those friends of the deaf man,  totally unable to restrain ourselves, shouting to the world: Listen up! Jesus touched my ears, and my lips, and healed me – and he can do the same for you!!! Wouldn’t that be something? That would be great for Dottie, and for all of us. I can’t heal your ‘significant’ deafness, Dottie, but I can, and do, love you. Happy anniversary.   - Pastor Piet - September 10, 2006