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The summer holidays are upon us. But as
those of us fortunate to go away rushing headlong toward the
airports, stations and motorway service stations, something
becomes apparent. Our determination to squeeze those final
jobs in before we pack the suitcases shows just how intrinsically
tied up with activity our society has become. Whereas God
sat down and rested for a day once he had finished creation,
we seem to have forgotten how to do the same. Sunday has never
really been a day of rest for the clergy but it has become
even less so for all of us since the opportunities for activity
abound more and more.
This may not sound like an opening paragraph for a piece on
disability but think again. As the authors of a new book point
out the major problem for those living with a disability is
not whether or not they can access a building, but why those
who built the building never thought about putting a ramp
there in the first place.
Part of the problem is that we simply don't believe that we
are fully human unless we can physically achieve as much as
possible whilst on earth. As Wayne Morris, co-ordinator of
CHAD (Church Action on Disability) and co-author of Making
a World of Difference told me: "If two people are climbing
a mountain and one of them decides he can go no further than
half way, everyone thinks he has done very well. But the real
hero, the one everyone remembers, is the one who gets to the
top.
"We are all, in fact, living with some sort of limitation
and trying to overcome them all is simply not what the Kingdom
of God is about. It is not humanly possible to achieve everything
in this life, and the pressure to assume that we can is not
a very helpful way of thinking."
Even the consummate athlete who reaches the peak of her career
breaking every record in the book will one day be too frail
to compete. Our identity is not defined by our physical achievements
but by the fact that God created us as an image of him. This
includes those who are disabled - 8.5 million of whom are
living in the UK.
"We have a common origin and are given a sense of worth,
which is second only to the worth of God," Wayne Morris
and Roy McCloughry write. "This common origin means that
everybody has a right to visualise themselves in Eden. Adam
and Eve are not simply the first people to inhabit Eden; they
are also our representatives. They are The Man and The Woman.
Like them, we can walk with God in the cool of the evening.
Some will be pushed through the garden by God in their wheelchairs
as they talk. But we all have a right to imagine ourselves
in Eden."
Whilst on earth, however, those with a disability face discrimination
as a result. Their limitations mean that jobs are closed to
them, people talk through them and access can be difficult.
"A 'does he take sugar' attitude still prevails,"
comments Wayne.
Some practical suggestions are listed below, but on a theological
level some adjustments also need to be made. Too often healing
is often treated as synonymous with cure, comments Wayne,
when in fact the Greek suggests a much more holistic sense.
"When Christ says 'Your faith has made you well' he is
talking about restoring the right relationship with God and
community rather than a therapeutic cure," he continues.
We often forget the community aspect, which is why churches
should make the most of the fact that all of us are part of
the body of Christ, regardless of our physical state.
"It is together as a body that we reflect the image of
God not as individuals," Wayne continues. "There
is also an interesting idea that Christ's body after the resurrection
is in some way disabled - in that it bears the scars of the
crucifixion. This is a helpful way of talking about the church.
It is not a perfect, achieve-all body, but we can live with
broken-ness and the vulnerable, because we can be broken and
vulnerable and wounded and yet free."
Churches could tie all of these ends together by accepting
that there is more to life than activity. We all need to ensure
that those whose gifts might lie more in the 'being' than
in the 'doing' are given the opportunity to minister to those
of us who would otherwise forget to be still.
1 Identify people within the
congregation who have impairments. One in seven people
are disabled so there should be disabled members in your
church. Engage with and listen to disabled people within
the church and the community, as they are the experts
on how they can best be included in the church.
2 Become aware of the needs of those who are Carers in
your church, and offer support in whatever ways are helpful.
Be sensitive in your approach and respect whatever response
is given to your offer.
3 Re-evaluate physical access to your church community.
Good physical access is a part of the church's call to
inclusion and mission. What are your financial priorities
as a church? Are they more important than providing access
to the church for disabled people?
4 Implement a Healing Charter which states that all members
of the church are equal (the full charter is in the book).
Train those intercessors who pray for healing in the church
according to its principles.
5 Re-evaluate your teaching and preaching programmes.
What kind of teaching do you offer on disability issues
at all levels of your church's teaching programme? Become
aware of the presence of disabled people when you preach
on subjects such as the healing narratives.
6 Ensure that disabled people, like other members of the
congregations, are able to use their gifts within the
church. Do they have access to all areas of the church?
7 Put on a 'disability awareness day' for your church
or group of churches in your area.
8 Encourage inclusive and positive attitudes to disabled
people in the children's work and youth work.
9 Be willing to examine how you use language as a church,
socially and in teaching, preaching and liturgy. Listen
to disabled people about how they respond to the use of
language in the church.
10 Where possible include disabled people in music, administrative
work, prayer groups, pastoral care, preaching and other
forms of leadership. |
Making a World of Difference, Christian Reflections
on Disability, by Roy McCloughry and Wayne Morris, is published
by SPCK, price £8.99, ISBN 0-281-05423-1
This article first appeared in The Church
of England Newspaper http//:www.churchnewspaper.com
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