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Archive for the ‘Book Commentary’ Category

Warnings for today from the past

Posted in Book Commentary on July 29, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Bright Valley of Love embeds many warnings to us, as well as a picture for how the church could respond to those living with severe disabilities.

For example, as the National Socialist Party (the Nazis) and the Communists battle for control of Germany in the 1930’s, Gunther believes they both “sound all right to me.”  To which the leader of Bethel replies:

“Gunther, beware of cruel and ruthless men with high ideals,” said the voice behind them quietly.  Pastor Fritz had come unnoticed into the room.  “In fact, I would even go so far as to say that we must beware of kind and cultured men with high ideals – if in all their kindness and culture they do not have faith in the Lord God and Jesus Christ, if they do not have his love in their hearts.” (Hong, p. 117)

From listening to German radio, the young men with disabilities knew what this meant after the Nazi’s took control.  These same young men created their own list of who would be eliminated.  That list included them:

  • The “very worst cases, those who are completely worthless to society.”
  • The ones who “are not able to contribute anything to the economy but are a fearful drain on the nation.”
  • “I do not call the lives these poor creatures live human.” (Hong, pp. 147-148)

We hear the same arguments today, sometimes from ‘kind and cultured men with high ideals.’  People with credentials and Ph.D.s and many books to their credit.  Those sections of the book are deeply disturbing in how ‘fresh’ they sound today.

Yet, this little book also gives examples of how to fight such evil:

On his knees to God in his little room of prayer at House Burg, he prayed that he would do nothing hot-headed or foolhardy that would bring sure death to those trusted in his care.  At the same time he prayed for the boldness and courage to fight against this war upon the weak and helpless, to take all the responsibility upon his own shoulders so that none of his fellow workers would be charged with guilt by the Party and arrested by the Gestapo.  He prayed that House Burg, so weak a fortress, indeed, no fortress at all in this new kind of air war, would be a mighty fortress for those the Nazi Party considered to be worthless creatures.

‘Oh Christ Jesus,’ he prayed, ‘you who loved the lowliest and the least, help me, guide me, so that not a hair of their heads is touched.  Make me wise as a serpent and as gentle as a dove.’ (Hong, p. 129)

Prayer, Bible, and worship are constant themes in this book.  May they be so for us as well.

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Bright Valley of Love – Part 2

Posted in Book Commentary on July 28, 2010| Leave a Comment »

What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.
Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It has been already in the ages before us.  Ecclesiastes 1:9-10

I sometimes live with the romantic notion that things were better before.  Surely the horror of millions of babies being aborted is a new thing.  Surely people before our time were different.

The Bible, of course, dispels that notion.  The horrors committed against children go back thousands of years:

Because they have filled this place with the blood of innocents, and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, which I did not command or decree, nor did it come into my mind. . . Jeremiah 19:4b-5

Bright Valley of Love reminded me that specific kinds of evil thoughts about and actions against people with disabilities are also not new.  And sometimes those thoughts come from the closest of relatives:

But this grandchild of hers who ought to be gathering the deadwood, emptying the slop pail in the gutter below, and carrying out the ashes for her – this brat was not worth one dry twig or a bucket of potato peelings and rotten cabbage leaves!  He was human junk, that’s what he was, that’s all he was. (Hong, p.14)

Is that statement so different from this one, from Peter Singer’s Practical Ethics published in 1993?

At present parents can choose to keep or destroy their disabled offspring only if the disability happens to be detected during pregnancy. There is no logical basis for restricting parents’ choice to these particular disabilities. If disabled newborn infants were not regarded as having a right to life until, say, a week or a month after birth it would allow parents, in consultation with their doctors, to choose on the basis of far greater knowledge of the infant’s condition than is possible before birth.

That’s a polite way of saying, ‘this baby born with a disability was human junk, that’s what he was, that’s all he was.’  But obviously there is more for Dr. Singer – we should just get rid of children like that.

Yet, as cruel as that statement was by the grandmother, her behavior at least acknowledged something about her responsibilities to another human being, in this case her disabled grandchild:

To the grandmother’s credit, it must be said that she dutifully spoon-fed the little cripple in the back room, dutifully lifted him on the potty-chair every morning and evening. (Hong, p. 16)

And because his minimal needs were being met, eventually this boy would be part of a community of believers who behaved very differently toward him, recognizing his inherent, God-given, image-bearing dignity.

Bright Valley of Love is a wonderful, hope-filled story, but it does not begin that way.  The opening chapter, “Nothing but a nothing,” is hard and bitter and biting.  The jarring, offensive language sprinkled throughout – like ‘the little cripple’ – contrasts significantly with the God-honoring behavior of the leaders at Bethel he would eventually meet.

The contrast is a good one.  The beauty he experiences is so much more obvious and glorious, and certainly not taken for granted, when compared to the darkness of Gunther’s early years.

And that is why we should talk openly about all that our children with disabilities mean to us, the things that are difficult and those that bring joy.  Yes, disability is hard.  I am doing things I never dreamed I would be doing, and I will be doing those things for him for as long as God gives me strength and breath.

And in those moments I see God is extraordinary in his beauty and provision and sovereignty – in ways I would have never seen or experienced but for my boy’s disabilities and my wife’s cancer.  I understand what Paul meant when he wrote, ‘as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.’

Tomorrow, an even darker reality then and today.

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Find and read this book: Bright Valley of Love

Posted in Book Commentary on July 27, 2010| 2 Comments »

Last month Brenda Fischer announced a new disability section at Bethlehem’s church library.  Bright Valley of Love by Edna Hong is one of the books she mentioned, along with her personal endorsement: “This is a book you will never forget.”

I want to add my own endorsement.  This book, written from the perspective of a boy with significant physical disabilities, is like none I have ever read.

The subtitle, “The true story of a handicapped child who finds a haven of love in the nightmare of Nazi Germany,” is not entirely accurate as only the final two chapters deal with that horrible time in our history.

But every page deals with the reality of this boy’s existence – the cruel beginnings, the extraordinary change that comes when Bible-believing, God-honoring men and women enter his life, and the incredible, courageous intervention – and examples of prayerful dependence – that protects this community during the worst of the Nazi campaign against those with disabilities.

Here is a taste (emphasis in bold is mine):

The two looked at each other, looked deep into each other.  Pastor Fritz looked and saw the boy within the stunted, twisted body.  The boy within the stunted, twisted body looked and saw the man who did not see his stunted twisted body, did not see it at all. . .

In a wave that flooded over the boy a dim and jumbled but wildly wonderful realization of the possibility of life – that he was not a piece of human garbage carried along on a gray and endless tide of time.  (Hong, p. 38)

How I want this for Bethlehem – that the boys and girls and men and women with disabilities who come would be seen and welcomed as real people rather than their disabilities!  I see it happening, praise God; yet there is still so much to do.  How frequently I still fail at this, even after God has blessed me with so much.

Tomorrow, the reality that the evil of that time is still with us today.

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Repost: New book by the brother of a man with autism

Posted in Book Commentary, commentary on July 23, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Noel Piper was the inspiration for this blog posting from May 21, 2009.  She pointed me to the interview and the rest came after that.  A year later, I’m grateful to see how God has increased my non-disabled children’s understanding of disability and their role in serving Paul.  A lot has changed in that year, but I think my observations about our family remain the same.

New Book by the brother of a man with autism:

Karl Taro Greenfeld has written a book about his growing up with a brother with autism.  Noel Piper shared this link to an article and interview with Mr. Greenfield.

This was a hard article to read and an even harder interview to listen to.  Mr. Greenfield does not have anything positive to say about growing up with his brother.  For example:

While he acknowledges that growing up with his brother taught him a certain amount of compassion and selflessness, Greenfeld notes that these lessons were forced upon him — not taken up by choice.

“If you’re hit by a car, you learn to be afraid of cars,” he says. “It’s hard for me to say, ‘I’m learning so much from this and that makes it OK,’ because I look at Noah and it’s not OK.”

The comments are also telling – mixing messages of how courageous Mr. Greenfield is in honestly writing about his experiences with his brother to those who call him selfish and self-pitying, without compassion for his brother or his parents.

Mr. Greenfield is certainly correct that disability changes the order of things in a family.  Most families that experience severe disability simply must spend more time caring for the child with the disability than the other children, and behavioral disabilities tend to ramp that up even more.  Our son’s autism takes up far more time than his blindness.  Typically-developing blind teenagers are just that – pretty typical in how they behave and how independent they are compared to other young people.  Paul is not typical, and it is his autism that causes the greatest deviance from what is considered normal.

As a father, this was a gut-check for me.  The bitterness I heard in Mr. Greenfield’s descriptions about his growing up, and his sense that there is no good purpose in his brother’s disability made me look (again) at my own parenting.  Does disability and disease dominate our home?

In a word, yes. Everything is slower in our house because of Paul – he needs help eating, dressing and personal care.  Just this week we had to go to a Childrens Hospital to get his teeth cleaned because he must be under general anesthesia. And because of his very small stature he’s had several teeth, including adult teeth, pulled.  That requires several hours of my time and focused attention on Paul.  For my other kids, we walk up the street to a local dentist – usually home within an hour.  And their teeth just fall out like ‘normal’ kids.  Lots of people know them as ‘Paul’s brother’ or ‘Paul’s sister’ because he is so memorable.

But I believe there is something different in our household than in Mr. Greenfield’s household or many of the commenters to the NPR article, even from the short description I read and the interview I heard:

1) We know, and are teaching our children, that God is sovereign over all things, including their brother’s disability and their mother’s cancer.  And we know that God is good and just in all his ways and all his works.  God intentionally made Paul just the way he is, for God’s glory.  Exodus 4 and Psalm 139 are pretty clear about that.  It is a great comfort to know there is purpose and power behind everything.

2) The Doctrine of Sin has been very helpful – we know we deserve much worse than raising a child with a disability. And God used Paul to break me of my sinful pride and show me how beautiful and glorious and powerful Jesus is!  That is a pretty great gift to receive through your own child!

3)  God will help us and God does help us.  Philippians 4:19 is a promise I hang on to at home, at church and in my work: And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

4) We are not ashamed to speak openly about Paul and his many issues.  We do not speak in hushed tones around the dinner table.  The children have learned they can speak openly about disability.  Paul’s school is very helpful here – they have the best ‘Fun Fest’ around, which is a highlight of our spring.  Paul’s ‘normal’ siblings have a great time, because of their brother’s disabilities. Hannah again invited a friend to come with her – unashamed to be connected to her brother or to be with dozens of other children with severe disabilities.  Joni Camp has also been a great thing for the children.

5) We spend a lot of time with our other children and try to find things each of them are interested in doing.  Tonight is the school play, and I have been to several practices.  On Tuesday a tearful child remembered a school project was due the next day – and we stayed up a little later to work on it together.  We’ve read two of the three Lord of the Rings trilogy together, and watched the first two movies together.

6) We fail a lot – which forces us back to God for his help, asking him to protect our children’s hearts. That is where my hope lies, with God. I do not trust my experiences nor do I trust that I can ultimately lead my children to love and protect their brother.  But God can.  And when I see my daughter making sure Paul is included, or when my 8-year-old son helps Paul find something without prompting, I think God is offering glimpses to me of what the future might look like.

Not normal.  Better.

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Repost: The Bible is Powerful

Posted in Book Commentary, commentary, Scripture on July 19, 2010| Leave a Comment »

I laughed out loud at myself when I ran across the first sentence to this post.  It seems I have been comparing and contrasting things from the beginning of my writing for the blog.

This was written and first published on the old disability ministry blog site on October 6, 2008.  It looked so awful there that I’m posting it in its entirety here:

I was reading two different articles recently, and found the contrast between them to be startling.

The first was by a mother of a child with Down Syndrome, and her desire to understand it from a biblical perspective:

(You can read the whole article here: God, do you care)

Here’s the situation. Moses is at the burning bush. God wants him to go to Pharaoh, and Moses begins making excuses. “Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently, nor in time past, nor since Thou hast spoken to Thy servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” And the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him dumb or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say.” Exodus 4:10-12

Here the Lord is taking responsibility for a “disability.” And He claimed to have made it that way on purpose! (emphasis mine) My Mary was not a genetic “accident.” She was designed that way by God. But the real exciting thing is that God doesn’t see dumbness, or blindness or deafness as a disability at all. He couldn’t see any reason that Moses’ speech impediment should stop him. God promised to not only be with him, but to teach his mouth what to say. Moses’ success in life did not depend on his own skills, but on the God who would be with him.

Now contrast the above with a more scholarly look at disability and theology:

(You can read the entire article, a book review of The Disabled God, here: Theology Today )

Any given event or series of events in the world – a Beethoven symphony; the overthrow of long-established repressive governments in eastern Europe; the church bus crash in Carrollton County, Kentucky, killing thirty-seven children; the governmentally-sanctioned disappearance, torture, and killing of hundreds of Argentinean citizens during the 1970s; the birth of “crack” babies and babies born with AIDS or other horrible maladies-is seen not as lying under or within God’s controlling power and will, but as emerging from a multiplicity of factors. God is one determining factor, even a necessary determining factor, but not the controlling, determining factor. (emphasis mine)

There is a world because there is God, but every event in that world arises out of the mutually creative activities of God and the creatures. In this sense, though strictly in this sense, God and the world are co-creators of each event. God draws the world into being and draws individual creatures toward particular, relevant responses on the basis of God’s aims of love, justice, and richness of experience. But creatures respond not only to God’s aim but out of their own history, environment, and perspective. That response can vary from radical rejection of God’s will to mild qualification. Thus, in this view, Hitler’s murderous policy toward European Jews or the recent Philippine earthquake or the AIDS epidemic or deafness or blindness or paralysis of limbs would never simply be attributed to God. (emphasis mine) Rather, God would be seen as responding to these kinds of events as God responds to all kinds of events: by seeking to draw or lure from them consequences that are compassionate, creative, and redemptive.

Why the difference?  A first answer is that this mother is taking into consideration the entire scripture, rather than a single text.  Knowing all the scripture is important to grasping something of the character of God.  In this case, she sees, rightly, that God claims responsibility for hard things like disability.   In Exodus 4 and John 9, God specifically says he created some to be disabled – end of story, no other explanation possible. And thus she is able to grasp something of the wisdom of God:

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.  2 Timothy 3:14-17

The second answer is that this mother is taking seriously that God is God, and has authority over everything:

But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?   Romas 9:20-21

It is best summed up by this quote from Abraham Kuyper:

There is not an inch in the whole area of human existence of which Christ, the sovereign of all, does not cry ‘It is mine.’

Oh people of God, cling to that kind of sovereign, powerful Jesus, and not one who is ‘just one factor’ in all that happens in the world!

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A taste from “God’s Sovereignty and Genetic Anomalies” by Michael Beates

Posted in Book Commentary, Scripture on July 16, 2010| Leave a Comment »

I’ve emailed Dr. Beates to see if there’s a way to get the entire chapter he wrote, “God’s Sovereignty and Genetic Anomalies,” posted here.  Some of the other contributors to the book, Genetic Ethics, are also interesting, but his is the best articulation of God’s sovereignty thus far.  I’ll let you know what I think after I read the entire book.

Here’s another excerpt from his chapter that I found both sobering and encouraging:

One of the most frequently-quoted but least-believed verses of Scripture is Romans 8:28.  ‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.’  If we really believe that verse, if we really believed it to be true, we could rest in peace even in the midst of painful realities of life, such as children born with genetic anomalies. (Beates, p. 57-58)

“If we really believe that verse. . .” That is about as clear as it comes, and part of why I appreciate his writing.  For Dr. Beates, the scripture is the anchor for assessing reality, not how he feels about his circumstance as a father of a daughter with significant disabilities.  He trusts that God is able to do exactly what God has promised.

Dr. Beates then articulates the result of knowing who God is as revealed in God’s word: peace in the midst of painful realities of life.

I hope there will be a way to provide access to the entire chapter for you.  It is not an easy read; I found myself pausing several times to make sure I understood things.  But it isn’t overly academic, either.  There were a couple of places I paused because I’m not sure I agreed.  On the central question about God’s sovereignty, however, I absolutely agree with him!

And he freely and frequently quotes the Bible.  Maybe I read my own desires into it, but I got the impression he quoted so freely because he loves the Bible so much.  I like that as well.

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New rule: I’m only going to read theologians who actually quote the Bible

Posted in Book Commentary, commentary on July 14, 2010| 2 Comments »

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Warning: I realize I am writing this out of frustration, which means I should set it aside for a day or two before posting.  Obviously I neglected to take my own advice.

Right now I am working my way through two different books on genetics, ethics, and faith.  One was commissioned by a mainline Protestant denomination and includes representatives of that denomination who work in a variety of disciplines.  The other includes representatives across denominational lines and disciplines, but generally people who have a Christian faith orientation.

The chapters by the professional theologians (seminary professors, pastors, denominational officers) run the highest risk of being the least interesting, least helpful, and most likely to leave me discouraged.  When I see a seminary designation, I find myself getting ready for – nothing at all.

I hate that.  One of the reasons I read is the anticipation of something happening!

I don’t mean to indict them all.  But for some reason, theologians, particularly from mainline denominations, seem to have the least confidence in quoting their most important books and authors.  The most egregious example thus far was a seminary professor who talked about God, about the Bible, about John Calvin and the Reformers, but never actually quoted any of them or even provided references or footnotes.  And then he made all of them (God included) subordinate in authority to his understanding of evolution.  And his understanding of evolution wasn’t that good, either, or at least not articulated in a way that I found worth entertaining.  It was all very light and fluffy on a massively important subject.

So, I didn’t know how to engage his thinking on either his assertions about God or about evolution.  And he teaches in a seminary (that was the discouraging part).

So far, the scientists in these books don’t seem to have that problem.  For example, a department chair of Biology quoted scripture throughout her chapter, along with references to arguments from the science of genetics that she unpacked in a helpful way.  It was interesting, had a point of view, referenced a variety of other authors, scientists and researchers, and concluded with a call to action.  I didn’t agree with all of it, but it was worth the time to read and I learned something.  She really cared about the subject matter.

Similarly, theologians who reference the Bible and actually quote it, present an argument, invite me to think about that argument, and actually seem to think the Bible is worth engaging are far more likely to hold my interest and receive my respect.  Frequently I don’t agree – I freely and enthusiastically embrace the sovereignty of God, and that is a hard thing for most people.  But if they care about and reference the Bible, even if they disagree with what God says about himself in it, they at least demonstrate that the book is worth engaging.

After all, they’ve spent a good part of their lives earning the credentials to write, speak and teach on matters of faith; shouldn’t there be something in the Bible that interests them enough to reference it specifically?

So, I am tempted to create a new rule for myself (which I will no doubt immediately break upon making it): when a theologian is writing a chapter or article or book that includes a discussion of faith or assertions about the nature and character of God, I am going to skim it to see if there is any direct reference to scripture, any scripture at all.  If not, I’m not going to bother to read it.

God in his word says that “all scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching. . .”  That seems like a pretty good reason to reference scripture!

Am I being unfair?  What do you think?

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“Even the least carry intrinsic dignity and worth” – Michael Beates

Posted in Book Commentary on July 12, 2010| 3 Comments »

I have never met Michael Beates but we corresponded some years ago as he was finishing his thesis on disability and the Bible.  He is the father of a young woman with significant disabilities and has served on the International Board of Directors for Joni and Friends.

So, when I discovered he had contributed a chapter for the book, Genetic Ethics: Do the Ends Justify the Genes?, I bought it.  (Yes, I agree that is an awful title for such a serious subject.)

His chapter was definitely worth reading!  Even the footnotes had content worth chewing over, like this one:

Even though a Trisomy 18, an encephalic, or Tay-Sach’s syndrome child is doomed to a short and even possibly painful life, it is not our place to subvert God’s sovereign creative act by destroying such a life.  When we do, we add two human injustices to our usurpation of God’s authority: We deprive the child of the privilege of being held in the loving arms of the parents; and we deprive the parents of the opportunity to hold – however briefly – their child as a vital part of the grieving process. (Beates, p. 59)

As Christians who see God’s sovereignty everywhere in the Bible, we do not pass lightly over the suffering inherent in this present age, including the suffering caused by disabilities.  How refreshing and encouraging to see God’s sovereignty applied so clearly: do not kill the little ones; do not add sin upon sin; do not attempt to usurp God’s activity.

It is a short chapter, but full of insight worth additional coverage.  I am hoping the other chapters provide similar value.

More on this to come.

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How we feel about God will determine how we feel about those with cognitive disabilities

Posted in Book Commentary, Sermons on July 9, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Many years ago when Pastor John was preaching in Romans, he introduced me to C.S. Lewis’ “God in the Dock.”  He shared a quote from that essay in a sermon I have listened to more than any other, “Pastoral Thoughts on the Doctrine of Election.”  More than any other resource, with the sole exception of the Bible, this sermon has helped me keep a proper orientation on who God is and who I am in relationship to him.  And part of what was so helpful was this clarifying statement Pastor John offered from C.S. Lewis:

The ancient man approached God . . . as the accused person approaches his judge. For the modern man the roles are reversed. He is the judge: God is in the dock. He is quite a kindly judge: if God should have a reasonable defence for being the god who permits war, poverty and disease, he is ready to listen to it. The trial may even end in God’s acquittal. But the important thing is that man is on the Bench and God in the Dock. (“God in the Dock,” in Lesley Walmsley, ed., C.S. Lewis: Essay Collection and Other Short Pieces [London: HarperCollins Publishers, 2000], p. 36)

How often have I been that ‘kindly judge’ over God!  I am grateful God asserted his rightful, helpful, merciful sovereign Lordship over me before I destroyed myself or my family.

As I have been reading arguments for and against abortion of those with various disabilities, God has recently guided me to look at the issue of cognitive disabilities in much the same way that C.S. Lewis described how ‘the modern man’ views God:

  • We believe we are the rightful judges of who has or does not have the cognitive abilities to be considered a person;
  • Because we believe we are kindly judges, we will only judge those who are ‘severely’ cognitively impaired to be non-persons;
  • In our perceived power and wisdom, we will execute a kind judgment on them; we won’t allow them to ‘suffer’ by living, or to cause others to suffer who would care for them;
  • The important thing is, we who are already born and who are ‘wise’ have the ability and the right to decide who is a person or not a person.  We are the judges, and the person with cognitive disabilities is in the dock.

This wickedness leaves me shaking as I write it.  And this connection between how we ‘enlightened, modern’ people view God and how we view those with cognitive disabilities is so obvious to me today I’m ashamed to say I never saw it before.

Yet it also brings to mind this from God’s word in 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.  And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

This contains a stunning warning along with a promise.  The warning comes in concert with God’s statements about disability in the Old Testament:

Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” (Exodus 4:11)

The warning: to those who think themselves wise and strong, God intentionally created those who you consider foolish and weak, even those you consider to be ‘non-persons’ – and he will use them to bring you down.  Better to recognize your extraordinary sinfulness and God’s mighty power to save, give glory to God and serve rather than destroy.

The promise: to all who are disdained because of your perceived lack of cognitive abilities, God made you just the way you are.  You are no accident nor an afterthought.  You will be used by God in ways that bring glory to God through means that are impossible but for your ‘weak’ status in the world.  God is for you, and knows what he is doing.

And to those of us granted the privilege of parenting one of these ‘weak’ ones, who are low and despised by the world, God has promised he will supply every need, he will grant us strength for the day:

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Praise be to the God who is sovereign over all things!

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Keeping Awareness of Disablity before the Church: Bethlehem’s Family Discipleship Newsletter Feature Article for July

Posted in Book Commentary, Helpful things on July 8, 2010| Leave a Comment »

We have been blessed at Bethlehem with leadership who wants the church to know about and get involved with disability in a variety of ways.  Last month, of course, every family received a copy of Just the Way I Am.  This month I was delighted to learn that the feature article for the Family Discipleship newsletter was written by Brenda Fischer, our disability ministry coordinator.

July’s Feature Article is by Brenda Fischer, Coordinator for Disability Ministry.

The Gift of a Suffering Believer’s Wisdom

I’m sitting here with a big stack of books in front of me overwhelmed with gratefulness to God for his work in the lives of those who have written these books or have lived the stories in these books.  Most have been through deep waters of suffering and come out on the other side with an understanding and wisdom richer and more valuable than much gold.  James uses the phrase “the meekness of wisdom” (James 3:13b).  The word meekness means humbly patient and long-suffering.  I would use these words to describe the life stories in this collection of books making up the New Disability Section of our Bethlehem libraries.

Here are a few examples:

*The precious book Bright Valley of Love by Edna Hong shares the story of Gunther, an abused and disabled boy living in Nazi Germany.  Society scorned the disabled and yet meek and compassionate followers of Christ saw through his broken body and nurtured Gunther’s soul.  This is a book you will never forget.

*Joni Eareckson Tada wrote the book, A Lifetime of Wisdom: Embracing the Way God Heals You. To read this book is to drink of the richness of the wisdom God freely gives to those who seek him in their suffering.  It is a tear jerking, faith-filled testimony.

*Finding Your Child’s Way on the Autism Spectrum by Dr. Laura Hendrickson is more than information, it is an encouragement to families who face the diagnosis of autism and a real help in seeing God’s hand in the process.

*Same Lake Different Boat-Coming Alongside People Touched by Disability by Stephanie O. Hubach is one of the best books I have read about ministering to people with disabilities.  Stephanie shares her faith and her life experience as a mom with a child with Down syndrome.  The Disability Ministry volunteers were given this book last year and the feedback was very positive.

*Our own Krista Horning’s book Just the Way I Am uses delightful pictures of some of the Bethlehem children with disabilities, scripture and simple truth-filled statements to highlight the certainty that God is our great designer.  Her story at the end of the book is a testimony of God’s good work in using hard things to bring growth in wisdom and directing us to Jesus. What an amazing way to share God’s sovereign goodness with children (and adults).

*List and brief review of all the books in the Disability Section of the Bethlehem Libraries.

The Bible says that the parts of the body that are weaker are indispensable (1 Cor 12:22).  One small piece of this indispensability is the wisdom we are able to glean and learn from those whose lives has been hard and yet they have trusted Jesus and been richly blessed with insight.  To read these books and share in the growth of another’s testimony is a great gift.  Your faith will be strengthened by those who have walked through some very difficult times.

In addition to faith-inspiring books, the new Disability section of the library includes books on teaching people with disabilities, care-giving, encouragement for parents and befriending those with disabilities. May we as a church reach out to those who are weaker and ask God for the blessing of the meekness of wisdom.

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