The Scars Still Remain

Easter is upon us and after reading an article by Amy Julia Becker from April 16, 2022, “How Disability Changed What Easter Means To My Family,” (link included) and was overwhelmed to tears, I had to reflect.  It’s an amazing article and well worth the read.

She shares the story of giving birth to her first born who had Down Syndrome, and all the implications it carries in our society.  She even admits to having “grief, shame, and fear.”

Turning to the Bible she read about the many times people were healed by Christ such as the lame walking, the deaf hearing, and the blind seeing.  These people in our age would be considered disabled.  Perhaps they were then too, since they were instructed to go to the religious authorities to share their victory of healing and thus be permitted to reenter their local communities.

This begs the questions, ‘Were those with disabilities rejected even in ancient times by society as they are today?  Did it have more to do with their disabilities or from within the communities they belonged’?

While there are huge strides toward inclusion today, there is still much to be done for the disabled people group.  These individuals who were born with what we would call an imperfect body are no less human than those who are born with what is noted as ‘perfection’.

But Ms. Becker also notes that physical healing isn’t the only miracle Christ performed.  There were those who were ‘healed’ from a spiritual perspective when a heart was filled with gratitude, compassion and understanding, without any obvious physical disability.

The article noted, health in many minds has more to do with our bodies—what it can or cannot do. But it’s absolutely more than that.  This too, however in becoming increasingly recognized.  Our good health includes our minds, souls, spirits, emotions and physical elements.  All these work together to make us the person we are.

This fact become abundantly clear in our own family when my husband’s dentist required clearance from his cardiologist before doing any work in his mouth.  This action actually likely saved his life!  He required immediate open heart surgery!

As we look upon those within our communities who have disabilities are we quick to include them in activities and give aid when we can or do we reject them, even if it seems subtle?  Have we abandoned them even within the church walls, where we frown upon those who are different from us?

Even for the toddler without any disability, we are immediately on alert and quick to shuffle them to a place where they are out of sight and out of mind, for the duration of the service. It’s even more direct and perhaps cruel when we do this to a family who comes into a service with a disabled child.  If there is any noise or movement that is distracting, we immediately notice, begin twitching, fidgeting and sending frowning, disapproving looks.

There is much we can learn from our disabled peers and the first may be love.  They often project pure joy and friendship when encountered.  They want nothing more than to be accepted for who they are —and not rejected for what they cannot do!

How many times do we take the wide route around a person with disabilities so we don’t get ‘caught’ in a conversation we’d rather not have, or somehow afraid to affiliate ourselves with their differences, for fear of remarks and rejection from our own people group?

I think what startled me most—and brought me to tears, was the thought that when Jesus died on the cross, his body was contorted to a disabled state.  He had visible scars in his hands, in his side and in his feet.  These scars were still visible when he returned to his disciples after the resurrection.  These scars didn’t reduce who he was; they proved who he was!

Should we treat the disabled any different?  They don’t need ‘fixing’ in the sense of a medical treatment.  They need to be accepted and loved for who they are, just as Christ accepts us.

https://time.com/6167503/disability-changed-easter-means-to-my-family/

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