Clarity

It is easy being blind to the silent contributors.  First of all the obvious; silent contributors are what the descriptive says – quiet, unobtrusive, and for the most part out of sight.  Second, by the very nature of their role the focus of our attention is somewhere else.  We see movement, bright colors, change.  We rarely notice the consistent, predictable, and everlasting.  Third, one tends to watch what one desires, openly or secretly, to be.  Normally reserved people focus on the lead singer, longing to have the voice, presence, and most of all nerve to be in the role!  Given the gap the attention allows one to live, if only momentarily, in another place.
 
In the context of being blind it is hard to know how silent contributors can be recognized.  I am not worried about public recognition.  The question pertains to the shared knowledge in and among the community of what has and is being done.  Some of the obvious players in a community include the men and women collecting the garbage, sweeping the streets, and manning the school crossings.  When was the last time you said thank-you for what they do everyday?
 
The obvious solution to not being notice is to stop doing what they do.  The awareness changes, instantly.
 
The sad fact of our lives today is how far our blindness extends.  Those focusing on my highest values and priorities are the ones I pay the least attention to, including Divinity!  It is as if I expect their work to continue.  I can ignore, even take action to mitigate the benefits of their handiwork, and life goes on.  Something needs to change. 
 
Sometimes God takes action.  On one occasion, “The Master, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, is emptying Jerusalem and Judah of all the basic necessities, plain bread and water to begin with.” (Isaiah 3.1)  Guess Divinity made the point! 
 
It doesn’t have to be this way.  On a bright, cold, fall day we can notice the beauty and awe around us.  With a new window we can realize compassion and mercy.  To each we can say, “thank-you”.