This notion of a replacement narrative really came home to me this past weekend as our pastor discussed Romans 12. The passage says,
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:2)
I wondered about this in terms of the narrative the church is currently working under relative to persons with disabilities. I hate to say it, but in many ways, the society reflects more of a biblical construction of disability than the church does. However, generally we do have a lot to offer the world, and we must not conform to the patterns of this world but renew our minds.
To what extent does the church reflect or contribute to negative social constructions of persons with disabilities, and, I would argue move away from a truly biblical narrative about who people with disabilities are and Christians and the Christian church's responsibility towards them? I even wonder at times whether the church knows what the biblical replacement narrative about disability is.
Anyway, that is what Arthur and I are chewing on. Your input is invited.
McNair
(fcbu)
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5 comments:
Hi knowus
Your comment is right on.
A new model may lead to a new experience of God in our chuches and our society.
Churches actually acting like the unaborted among us do matter would be a good start for any pro-life conservative congregation.
HI Jeff
You said;
"I even wonder at times whether the church knows what the biblical replacement narrative about disability is."
This really struck me. I am a father of two children with Fragile X syndrom. I have been struggling to know what God thinks of us and have had virtually no help from the churches we attended.
What is this narrative as far as the evqangelical church is concerned? Is it enunciated in a book? Can you link me to resources where this is explained?
Are there such resources? Are these resources ready to be disseminated to pastors and congregtions because where I am there is precious little to help us make sense of the call to suffering placed on our family.
In the Catholic world Jean Vanier has done a wondeful job in comforting us but we wonder where is the evangelical church in this matter?
My commentaries on
http://impossibleape.blogspot.com/
are an attempt to make a place for my children, and children like them the world over, in the Kingdom of God.
I think that is part of the problem, isn't it. Our narrative should be informed by the Bible. That is where we learn revealed truth, truth we probably wouldn't know otherwise. For example, I wouldn't know that I was created in God's image unless he told me so. The Bible is the narrative upon which we base our lives. However, there is much mis understanding about what the Bible says on some issues. My hope is that those with theological training and knowledge would help us to understand what our narrative teaches us, tells us about what the truth is. Without that assistance, we end up with a lot of confusion. Yes, Vanier has contributed to that understanding as have others. But there is still much that could be fleshed out by a discussion among Christian theological leaders. Perhaps they could provide answers which would help to guide churches to creat programs, or provide counseling to parents, or help persons themselves who are experiencing disability to come to grips with what is happening in their lives.
Hi Jeff
What do we evangelicals make of the old testament's insistence upon a perfect sacrtfice and the exclusion of anyone with a deformity from ministering in the temple?
What of the 'faith crowd' who say that God always answers faith filled prayers and that nothing but the 'saved, healed and delivered' can be of God's Kingdom?
So much of the tradition we ascribe to can make the different and the diseased a category of people who are under God's judgement and who are often treated like the lepers of another era.
If the church was forced to really think about what their theology infers about most of humanity it might have to reconsider some of its unthinking reactions and attitudes towards those who are forced to live in a real world that doesn't match up to the 'saved, healed and delivered' narrative.
Before taking your class I can honestly say the idea of how the church viewed the disabled really had not been an area I gave much thought at all. I would have never denied a family, child or adult simply because they had a disability or a family member with one. I know I always made a place for them and tried to reach them where they were at. But I wasn't ready and expecting them to come. I wasn't purposfully seeking to evangelize those with disability. In many ways I suppose I saw them as someone I could help, but this is really a belief that I am somehow superior, which is not what I truly believe and yet it is what I was showing by my actions. At best I would say that I need a total renewing of my mind in this area to not see people with disablilities as a ministry but as Jesus sees them which is as souls worthy of a life in eternity with him. He died for all of us and His desire is that non would perish without the knowledge of who He is. I have this truth and I need to purposfully evangelize all people and that requires that I seek to find those that do not know and share the gospel truth with them. Thanks for an eye opening class.
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