Healed by Mud

There are a few films that come to mind with this blog title, “Healed by Mud”. “Black Diamond,” “Slumdog Millionaire,” “The King,” and even “Million Dollar Baby” (in a sense), are all films that have a factor of finding fortune, a new life, freedom from pain, through the “mud”. And while it’s a knee-jerk response to never want to deal with or look at things that are considered broken, dirty, or lacking, whether that’s through physicality, behavior or mindset, sometimes, (I’m biased and would say most of the time) there is a diamond in the rough waiting to be found in order to be in the environment where it will shine brightest. Freed from setbacks. Put plainly, if a diamond is covered in mud, no one will ever see it. So the question is, how will it ever be found? By feeling through the mud — you gotta get in the game of it. 

In regards to humanity, the human condition and psychology then, I think this is a great metaphor for what’s easy to see on the surface, and what can easily be overlooked simultaneously. Humans communicate best through what they show others, that’s also how we learn best, through following an example. What we “wear” and live into, regarding our career, our home life, our appearance, all directly reflects internal struggle or pride for who we are. So in viewing the world and people with a trauma-informed perspective, you can see problems pretty easily, and hopefully find ways to help those problems in the world. Problems exist in the world so that others will step up in providing assistance — it’s what makes life move — an ebb and flow of problem solving. What often happens though, is that people fail to step up when they have a solution, for fear of judgement. Or, people will overstep when they assume the world revolves around them and they know everything. Stepping up requires boldness and courage, where admitting you’ve overstepped requires surrendering your ego, admitting that you failed. 

I remember one time I was driving down a main road to get onto a highway and I passed by a homeless man who was landscaping. He had a shovel that he used to carve a staircase in the mud, to lead up to his tent. The man had a great eye for detail — each step at least from the street view, looked equal in height. Within a week or two though, authorities escorted him out of the area from what he had built. My immediate thought to seeing him doing his work though, was, “Get this guy a job!” My follow up thought to that, “Did they help him find one?” Because that was an opportunity to help. We might not ever know, but it’d be really cool to see headlines that read, “Homeless Man Constructs Neighborhoods”; “How a Homeless Man Built a Multi-Million Dollar Construction Company from Landscaping Freeway On-Ramps”; “Homeward Bound: How a Homeless Man Became a top CEO from Landscaping”. You get the picture — hidden talent is everywhere. The point being, the homeless man isn’t the problem — it’s that he’s homeless and has a skill that would solve both his homelessness and the trespassing. The hidden problem though? That he might not feel safe enough in the world to contribute his skills and talents. 

Like the homeless man I saw landscaping, there was once a man born blind, who probably had untapped talents. Someone maybe, considered useless to society — until Jesus went and healed him — with mud. (Metaphysics for the win again). It’s pretty ironic that lost vision would be healed with a substance you cannot physically see-through. That a disability you were born with can be healed through pure touch, command in authority and a metaphysical transfer. It’s almost as if in the moment with this man, Jesus showed those around him a small foreshadowing of what was to happen. That the mans blindness transferred into the mud which was put over his eyes, draws a metaphor for the dirt and grime, the blindness in the world that separates us from the grace, peace and love of God: the sin that ensnares, the weight that holds us down, the hooks of bitterness and self-shame and loathing endorsed by satan. All of this, would be transferred onto Jesus through His crucifixion, so that we could finally see clearly. When it comes to healing by touch, command and a transfer, these mean nothing if you have no faith you will be healed. 

The other thing about this scripture from John 9 is that the mud was made with Jesus’ spit. In other words — spit it out, whatever it is that is keeping you caged. You’ll be able to see clearly, move freely, when you call things out for what they are. When you stop holding everything in. That’s the power of getting vocal. The power of holy “mud”. 

“While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:5

-B