This post shook me to my core. Especially this paragraph:
If the church truly wants to serve the “least of these” – whom Jesus urged the Church to make a priority, are they not the disabled? Now ask yourselves this: How many people with disabilities come to your church? Where are all the people with handicaps anyway? Sure, they seemingly have little to offer the church — no money, no volunteering, no inviting their friends, they may be unlovely to look upon, make weird noises, have improper behaviors, spit more than normal, throw up routinely, and do not even offer “acceptable” praise and worship. Many of them are unwanted even by their own parents. They are a group who cannot speak for themselves, cannot go where they want to go, or even eat or go to the bathroom without help , and accordingly, they ought to be honored as the most patient among us! The disabled who have been brought to the church are among the blessed few. First, they are blessed to be alive, cared for, and well enough to attend; and second, they are blessed to have a parent or caregiver who love them enough to battle the process of getting them to the church. And so, I implore you — please do not send them out into the lobby or to an empty room to sit alone after all they have struggled with and endured just to make it into your doors!
Because that's where we are...lots of us.
First of all, I love our church. We knew from the get-go that there wasn't any sort of out-reach for adults with disabilities, or a Special Needs class for him or anything. The one thing we were looking for...it didn't have. But we really feel like this is where we are supposed to be.
Joshua has not been shunned in any way that we know of at our church. Most people smile and nod at him. Some people will speak to him. A scant few will intentionally engage him in a conversation.
Which, I'd like to say is just their loss, because Joshua has a lot to say. He is wise and witty.
Why don't people take time to get to know him?
Fear? Busyness? Apathy? Because we're new?
He doesn't bite. Well...anymore.
(long story!) (wink!)
But it's also kind of HIS loss, too...because, like most of us, he craves connection.
I remember a friend of mind from years ago. She had a daughter who had CP, and she was pretty much non-verbal. She did make sounds, but her mother could usually tell what she was trying to communicate. When they were out, her daughter would try to "speak" to everyone she saw...but it didn't come out as "hi!" It came out as "UHHHHHHHHHHHHH." People would drop their eyes or turn to walk in another direction. My friend was, like, "can people...grown adult people...not say HELLO to her? I don't get it."
Me, either.
Not at all.
I have to echo the writer of this article and ask, "where are all of the disabled people?" Because I know they're out there.
And side note: I don't really like the word, "disabled," but you know what I mean, right? I can't really think of another one to use at the moment, other than physically/mentally challenged.
And, before we jump on the "how dare they not include and accept our 'challenged' friends and family members" band-wagon and picket outside of Bible-preaching churches full of God-fearing people...and before we jump on the band-wagon of "we can't let those people disrupt our service," I think it would be good to realize that there are valid points to be made on both sides.
Yes, our churches SHOULD have a place for the intellectually and physically challenged. They should be searched for and targeted, just like every other demographic group in our community. They should be accepted and involved in worship. There should be a class for them, and they should be taught a lesson during the small group hour, just like everyone else. And they should be treated with care and intention.
It should start with the staff. Or maybe with someone who is experienced in this area.
And then I think the congregation will follow.
And yes, we don't want our worship services disrupted to the point where the message is not heard and people are frustrated and tempers flare. What does that even accomplish?
There is a relationship between preaching/teaching God's Word...and living it out to "the least of these" who are right in front of us. How that works in a worship service...I don't know. I think in some churches, it would totally not be a big deal. In other churches, it would require a planning committee and several meetings and maybe a weekend retreat and a casserole dinner.
Definitely a casserole dinner.
And accommodations need to be made that enable everyone to participate in worship to the best of their ability...and accommodations need to be made that enable the ministers to effectively lead the worship service without serious distractions.
I don't know. I'm no expert, but I feel like these changes start with how we view life. As in, the sanctity of life. As in, our definition of "fearfully and wonderfully made."
Because you know what? We are all a stroke...a heart attack...a brain aneurysm...a degenerative disease...a sports injury...a serious car accident...away...from being disabled.
We are. Think about it.
WE might be the ones in the wheelchairs and WE might be the ones whose mouths don't work right when we talk or sing and WE might be the ones who can't control our bodily functions and WE might be the ones totally dependent on the care of others to sustain our lives.
How would we want to be treated?
How would we want to be treated...in CHURCH?
"And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.” Matthew 10:42
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