Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“You know that it was because of a physical infirmity that I first announced the gospel to you; though my condition put you to the test, you did not scorn or despise me, but welcomed me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus.”
NL Daily Devotion for Saturday, May 15, 2021
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
A physical infirmity? A quick web search (if it’s on the internet it must be true, right?) bought back a host of articles about Paul’s “thorn in the flesh,” which most believe to be metaphorical, but one article talked a lot about the idea that Paul might have had a visual impairment of some kind. In general, the consensus was that not knowing specifically what Paul was referring to was good because it makes us think.
And here’s what I think—the modern church is terribly ableist. This from the mother of an autistic kid and another kid with some mental health issues who just couldn’t “do” church, much to my sorrow. I read a wonderful book in seminary called “Amplifying Our Witness” by Benjamin T. Conner all about inclusivity of kids with developmental disabilities in Christian community. The program he devised, centered in the idea of Christian friendship, was amazing. But all I could think of when I was reading it was, “Well, are there enough Benjamin Conners around to develop a program like this in every church?” I don’t think so.
Bottom line is that we have a long way to go in making our church communities truly welcoming to folks with disabilities. This almost casual throwaway sentence of Paul’s makes me think we need to keep trying harder to welcome such folks as “angels of God, as Christ Jesus.”
How does my faith community include people with disabilities?
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