Released in Portugal in 1995 under the title “Essay on Blindness” and two years later in English. The author, Jose Saramago is a fascinating individual, more than a writer, he held several positions in government and was a member of the Communist Party of Portugal. His 1998 Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded in part due to this novel.

One of his famous quotes "The painter paints, the musician makes music, the novelist writes novels. But I believe that we all have some influence, not because of the fact that one is an artist, but because we are citizens. As citizens, we all have an obligation to intervene and become involved, it's the citizen who changes things. I can't imagine myself outside any kind of social or political involvement.”

As such, his books are statements as much as stories. What then, is Jose working to convey through his book “Blindness”?

Clinical – there were no names. Individuals only had descriptions based one personal element about the individual shortly following their introduction into the story.

Unconventional – no quotes, few paragraphs, stream of consciousness writing style.
The story concluded as soon as a semblance of new normal was established. While abrupt what more would there have been to write? The points had been made sometime within the onset of blindness and gaining sight.

The depth of this novel is severe. We learn of tribalism, poor governance, abuse of power. The use of blindness as a backdrop to describe these things is a modern-day version of Plato’s Cave.

Plato’s Republic contains a piece about a people chained facing the wall of a cave. This is the only world they have ever known and only see the world through what is reflected from behind on to the wall in front of them. This is the only reality they know.

Our reality is that we are all blind. We are all stumbling and bumbling our way through life, blind to the experiences of others. We’re just doing our best to survive and maybe thrive. We have our groups. We help each other out. There are other groups. Some of these other groups are irrelevant to our group, some have more, some less. Others want to take from our group. Our group reality and individual reality prevents us from seeing the reality of others. The reality in which others live mean they can not see our reality. Even with attempts to understand others, our current reality and past life experiences make it impossible for us to fully comprehend someone else’s reality. We can try, but we will never get there. It is an unachievable goal.

In this book even the one who sees sometimes forgets that others are blind.

Reality is difficult enough for us to decipher on our own. When we glean reality from the mouths of others the chasm between us grows. How can we interpret reality from the purposefully biased reality someone else is espousing upon us?

Some describe protests as “violent riots”. Others describe these same protests as “fiery but mostly peaceful”. Neither are reality.

We can never truly gain sight. Not in this world. If we cannot gain sight, what can we gain to cope with our blindness?

Is it empathy, defined as “the ability to understand and share the feelings of another”. Maybe, but it doesn’t go far enough. Sympathy and pity simply widen the gap, establishing the victim and the sympathizer and deeper misunderstanding of others' realities.

Since we cannot see the reality of others let us try to understand. If we cannot understand let us forgive those whose reality is different than ours. I sure hope others can forgive me. If we cannot forgive, I fear for where we are headed.

Gal 5:14-15 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

Darkness is the absence of light.
Cold is the absence of heat.
Evil absence of good.

What is good?

Phil 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Let’s circle back to the earlier question. Jose’s books are statements as much as stories. What then, is Jose working to convey through his book “Blindness”?

I know that I cannot know the reality of others. Therefore I must forgive. Let us not confuse forgiveness with complacency. Let us remember that forgiveness and change are not mutually exclusive.

Why does the Bible describe so many miracles of people being healed from blindness? Because of the importance of forgiveness. I believe the atheist author of this book captures the need for forgiveness exceptionally well.