In a Toronto waterfront encounter, a friend navigates the delicate balance between good intentions and genuine understanding. A neighbor's well-meant prayer in the rain, though misguided, calls for authentic empathy, reflecting a deeper compassion we should embody
Christina Minaki reflects on the complexities of faith, compassion, and disability. She grapples with the misconception of disability as infirmity and challenges the narrow definition of divine intervention. She advocates for a broader understanding of healing and embraces the profound purpose within disability.
I cannot always come last because that isn’t showing true love. It may seem simple and obvious but I have struggled with this concept for a long time. When there’s a never-ending stream of crises, it can be hard to remember the necessity of putting yourself at the top of the list sometimes.
This week, I was in Niagara-on-the-Lake (“NOTL”) for some meetings. Everyone who heard I was going there said something like, "Oh, that's nice!" Why? Because if you've ever been, you know it's beautiful and charming. My response was something like, "Theoretically, yes, but it is February after all."
It was an accessible restaurant for a couple of years. Dion and I would occasionally go, entering through a door that was both wide and street-level. One day we arrived to notice that the door was locked. I went around to the other side of building to discover that they had reconfigured the space.
Despite all this, I am joyful. I’m going into the Christmas season knowing I may not have the energy to go sledding or light touring with my nephews; I may have to limit my rounds to people I care about. Yet, I know God is here with me. Christmas is about God incarnate, so despite what I may or may not get to do this year, I marvel that HE came for me.
[...] in North America, we have an accomplishment-based approach to life instead of a contribution-based approach. Employment serves as validation of our accomplishments and worth as citizens but in reality, accomplishments are only a credit to the individual. Contributions on the other hand, are for the common good.
In the Christian faith, Karis conveys God’s grace, the gift of God’s radically accessible goodness in Christ. Through charisma, it also expresses our conviction that everybody has value and unique God-given gifts.
It might sound cliché, but I was hired to help others and they helped me just as much, perhaps even more. I learned about acceptance, trust, diversity, and what it meant to have a place to belong. Looking back, I realize God was beginning to teach me about 1 Corinthians 12 and what it means to be whole.
People with developmental disabilities, people like Sam, have taught me that each person matters. These days, we often forget about the one, about individual people – we are so distracted by all the things and the many people which call for our attention.