Last week a friend sent me a copy of her recently released book. When I opened the outer package that gave my address, I discovered another layer of wrapping, this time brown craft paper adorned with a golden leaf and   a brief handwritten message in green ink. On the back, a sticker matching her book cover completed the package. Her book was so beautifully presented that I hesitated to unwrap it further, but when I did, I discovered another heartfelt and handwritten message on the book’s inside cover. Clearly she had sent this gift with great care and thoughtfulness, attending to every detail, with a sense of purpose.

In today’s reading Jesus spoke of God as  the  one who sent him (John 9:4), and he described himself this way repeatedly throughout the gospel of John. When his disciples b…