A colleague of mine has recently written a piece for the internet service, The Immediate Word, about how we respond to a person with disabilities. She was working off the Blind Bartimaeus passage in Mark. In her writing she makes the following point. It is a mistake to believe that “it is the wish of every person who lives with a disability to be “cured.” I find that a very powerful reminder that we should not make quick assumptions based on our own perceptions and should take time to listen to others about what they want.
My colleague notes in the Barimaeus story that Jesus did exactly that by asking what Bartimaeus wanted from him. Not everyone who is physically blind wants to see. Some have developed other gifts that might be sacrificed if they suddenly were given physical sight. Even when we know better, we sometimes assume that one disability suggests others as well. I have a friend who was born without legs and with frozen elboes. It would be easy to consign her to the category of helpless. She is 18 and I recently asked her about her future plans. She told me that she wants to be a film maker. My guess is that she will see what she films from a unique perspective that will enrich the world.
I wonder how many congregations, when seeking a pastor, are open to seeking the gifts of a pastor who has some physical disabilities. Would they immediately be eliminated from consideration or would they be included in the interview with an eye to how their gifts might enhance the life of the congregation. The same could be said about a congregation. What are the disabilities of a congregation that might be recognized as gifts of another kind if they could be recognized, honored as the context of God’s ministry, and listened to with an ear to the Spirit?
It is a thought worth pondering. What are the gifts of God that we miss because we are imprisoned by our assumptions?
