Don't Hand a Blind Man a Map

By Chris Archinal

It must have been 1991.  I was the Assoc Youth Minister at FBC Lubbock while attending Texas Tech University.  FBC was 3 blocks from the campus so it was easy for me to park my Jeep CJ-5 at the church and simply ride my bike to class.  One afternoon, my twin brother, Jason, was running late for class.  Instead of fighting to find a parking place he parked at the church and borrowed my bike.  A few hours later he returned.  He came to my office and when I saw his face I could tell something was wrong.  I asked him what was bothering him and he told me this story.  

After class Jason was unlocking my bike from the rack and I guess the noise he made as he loosened the lock caught the attention of a blind man who was standing nearby with his dog.  The man, looking like a stereotypical blind person, complete with the stick, dark glasses and dog, looked Jason's direction.  He said, "Excuse me, could you help me?  I seemed to have lost my way." As it turns out the man was headed to the library and through a series of wrong turns he was totally lost.  Of course, Jason stopped what he was doing and immediately helped him.  Jason took him by the arm and walked him towards the library until he looked at Jason and said, "Ah, now I know where I am.  Thank you for the help, and have a great day."  Jason double-checked, maybe even triple-checked to make sure he was certain to continue on alone and watched the man as he navigated across the street and down the sidewalk that led to the library.  Jason watched as the man made his way up the library steps and only when he had safely entered in did he go back to the bike rack.  

I'll never forget the expression on Jason's face as he told me this story.  His eyes filled with tears, choking back the frog that seemed to have nestled in his throat.  Then he asked me, "What do you think I am supposed to learn from that?"  We sat and talked about the obvious lesson, which is to be grateful everyday for something we so take for granted...our sight.  But digging deeper God revealed something more.  You see, we encounter spiritually blind people everyday...people that don't know Jesus.  And whether they ask us outright, or just with their actions, many are saying, "Excuse me, could you help me?  I seemed to have lost my way."  So what do we do when we see someone who is lost...someone who has lost their way?  

Draw a map: Jason, knowing the campus layout very well, could have drawn the man a very nice map.  He could have handed the man the map and said, "Here are step by step directions...good luck!"

Point: Jason could have put his hand on the guys shoulder and pointed saying, "Yup...you wanna go that way."

Verbal instructions:  "No, no, you're waaaay off.  If you want to go to the library you need to...." and then proceed to describe to the man exactly what he needed to do.  

 The bottom line (and ridiculously obvious) truth about those options is....they AREN'T options.  You would never do those things for a blind man.  A map is no good to someone who can't see.  Pointing is just as worthless.  And verbal instructions only make him feel more embarrassed.  The ONLY option Jason had was to do what he did.  To take the man by the arm and "lead him" to the library.  

You want to help those who are blind to Christ?  Assist those who have lost their way?  Lead them.  Don't write down a bunch of scripture and tell them to "follow this Roman road to salvation."  Don't just point them to church, telling them that's where they can "find their way," and don't preach at them using churchy terms they won't understand.  Instead, lead them.  Is it wrong to share scripture, point them to church or verbally share your faith?  Of course not.  In fact, those are definitely supplements to sharing your faith.  But the very best thing you can do is walk through life with them, helping them find their way...God's way.  

Oh, and by the way, you won't be so lucky to have someone walk up and say, "I'm a sinner, what must I do to be saved?"  Your blind person will come to you with life questions, real pain, a financial or marital crisis, or the like.  Each hurt, each issue, each cry out is their way of looking to someone they think can help saying, "Excuse me, could you help me?  I seemed to have lost my way."