It is interesting, that whenever someone wants to make the harshest criticism possible, they compare the behavior of an individual, or a group or a nation to that of Nazi Germany. We can hardly imagine a worse situation then what went on there. It was horrific for so many people representing many different characteristics which were deemed negative by the evil ones in charge. It was the same for persons with disabilities at that time.
We might also think about the worst of times in our own nation (America) with conditions in institutions for persons with disabilities. But as inhumane as those conditions were, they still don't compare with the life taking that occurred under the Nazi regime.
But then, I wonder what I would use for comparison for the absolute best the world has had to offer over the centuries, particularly for persons with disabilities. What might we point to and say, "This is how it should be, this would be the best situation." In considering the world's best, I wonder whether there would be any mention of programs or services, or attitudes, or sacrifice by the church who follow the teachings of Jesus Christ? Would that we could point to our times, have people remember how the birth of love and caring for persons with disabilities really began to happen in the early 2000's. Would that future people would say, "The enfolding of persons into the church that we enjoy today, started then and caught on in the community. It was that caring by the church which shamed the secularists, or at best chided them into being all they could be to persons with disability."
We have plenty examples of the worst. How about we become the example of the absolute best that the world has to offer. The absolute best!
McNair
Monday, June 06, 2005
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Regarding the best the world has to offer when siting an example in reference to the disabled, I am led to Mark 2:3-5 and Luke 5: 18-20. 'Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on.'
Though the point of the verse was to show Jesus forgiveness of sins as well as the miracle of healing the paralytic, I have often marveled at the staunch determination of the four men who carried their paralytic friend. Think about it for a minute. They carried him, probably a long way, only to discover that it was too crowded to get near enough to Jesus. Did that stop them? Did they give up and walk away, mumbling their apologies to their friend? No. Instead they carried him up to the roof, cut a hole in it, removed the tiles and then lowered him down in front of Jesus. That is the best example of love, devotion, committment and advocacy I know of. We take our loved ones to specialists so they can live the best quality of life their disability will allow, but how far would we go for others? If we keep the paralytic and his friends close to our hearts we will always find the strength to do all that we can.
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