This past summer, I watched a young man with muscular dystrophy fly down a zip-line into a lake. A group of guys had carried him up four stories of narrow, winding stairs to get him to the top. Once he reached the bottom, his leader lifted him from the water anxiously asking if he liked it. “You bet!” he shouted.
Physical challenges pale in comparison to other challenges. The question often is asked, “Do they get it?” In other words, do they have the intellectual ability to understand and accept the gospel?
When I consider the friends I have with disabilities, I am compelled to grapple with different ways of proclaiming the gospel, particularly ways in which my friends may hear, experience and internalize the transformative power of Christ. A strictly verbal and intellectual approach to the gospel is inadequate. I must embrace a holistic approach to the presentation of the gospel and to living out the Christian life. My response to the question, “Do they get it?” Yes! They get it, incarnationally.
Alienation
For two years I’ve been talking with families impacted by adolescents with disabilities. The majority of those I spoke with experienced initial support in their churches; but in time the community dropped away, becoming essentially non-existent by the time their disabled children reached adolescence.
One parent put it this way: “Every church I called, I asked, ‘Is there a place for a special needs child?’ There was not one church I found that had a place for special-needs kids. There’s no place where my child could stay connected and get taught about Jesus or anything spiritual.”
Another said: “You can’t imagine the sense of alienation that you feel from other people in the church and society as a whole.”
The incarnation leads us to consider the Imago Dei. Incarnation transcends logic and embraces the awesome mystery of God. Too often, it is assumed that teens with disabilities have nothing to offer the body of Christ or to help transform the world. They frequently are described or treated as tragic perversions of God’s image. Nothing could be further from the truth!
Conversely, others make the mistake of venerating those with disabilities. To elevate those with disabilities or treat them as being beyond the need for Christ places them on a pedestal, denying their human condition. It is an unwelcome burden that further isolates and alienates an entire community of people.
One mother describes this alienation: “My son told me many years ago when he was about 7, ‘As I get older, you’re going to be the only friend I have.’ I didn’t believe him, because I thought, No, let’s see what the Lord does. But what he said ended up being true.”
These sad realities demand a consideration of sin. Sin may be understood in a variety of ways. One way is “missing the mark.” This includes both the erring aim and the missed mark. A second understanding is “being overly self-focused.” In this sense, sin is personal (too self-focused) and corporate (disregard for others).
The combination of these two is powerful as it pertains here. It is as if these teens have missed the mark and, whether through internal or external pressures, have become self-focused. This (unwittingly) constitutes idolatry, dethroning God, replacing Him with an individual. At times, this is a personal choice (individual), and other times is imposed by the outside world (social). This realization of sin can be humbling and liberating as their eyes are lifted, shifting the focus from themselves to Jesus and the abundant life He gives.
Teens with disabilities usually understand the consequences of sin long before they understand sin itself. They are ignored, ridiculed, mocked and isolated. They are sinned against and often broken inside. They deal with sin. There is no need to convince them of its existence. The privilege we have is letting them know isolation is not inevitable.
Gospel Truth
My friends share some common elements experienced by Jesus on the cross. Their reality is filled with shame, rejection, a broken body, scorn, loss of control of their body, insults and, for some, early death.
That Jesus died on a cross is scandalous. That my friends with disabilities live portions of this reality gives them an insight that goes beyond what most of us can comprehend. Identification and compassion are intermingled as the Passion is proclaimed, and it is explained that they are highly valued by their Creator. Jesus’ death is no distant act lacking points of connection. It is something they understand and consider while they learn the depth of the sacrifice Jesus made for them. This is a complete reversal of the message of worthlessness and uselessness they so often hear, a bold declaration that they are created in God’s image and worthy of His very life. The disability, in a sense, has been disabled.
Resurrection carries with it the full weight of sorrow and hope. It is the joyous moment that is only possible after utter desolation. It is hope embodied. It does not deny the horrific struggle, which is also a part of the story of the Passion. Teens with disabilities know the sorrow and struggle that come in a broken body and world. Their sheer joy at the reality of the resurrection is a reminder of all of the love continuously poured down on God’s creation.
The resurrection testifies that, in facing the worst of bodily suffering, new life is possible—new life now following Jesus and new life for eternity. Notably, upon Christ’s resurrection, the holes in His hands, feet and side were still present. His broken body was raised. There is no shame in a physical body that is different than expected; and normalcy shifts to that which is, not what is prescribed by the majority culture. The resurrection opens the floodgates for the recognition and inclusion of all.
Those with disabilities communicate in a variety of ways, though not always verbally. When talking with teens with disabilities, I do not advocate a watered-down gospel. The gospel still needs to be contextualized for their understanding. This is similar to offering the gospel in Spanish to those who only speak Spanish. The truth is communicated clearly because it has been communicated with the audience in mind. It remains the truth of the gospel. Simultaneously, we celebrate the variety of ways they make known their relationship with Jesus, verbal and non-verbal.
Teens with disabilities force us to confront what it means to be loved and saved by grace despite our inability to earn these gifts. Too often we are results-oriented, functioning as though we must earn God’s attention and love. When included, teens with disabilities change a ministry forever. As teens with disabilities receive the gospel, they bring conversion to us. We are confronted with their love and celebration, bringing us all back to joy in Christ.
