A painful church experience became the starting point for a deeper reflection on Jesus’ healing of the man at the Bethesda Pool in John 5:1–15, challenging common misreadings of disability, dependence, and faith. This article invites readers to sit in discomfort and see the story differently
... people with disabilities are often marginalized as well. Long before Christian Horizons articulated our vision that ‘people who experience disabilities belong to communities in which their God-given gifts are valued and respected’, Jesus helped others see our crucial need to belong. He makes it possible for people to belong.
"I was born with cerebral palsy which makes it challenging for me to speak or use my arms and legs. ... It is difficult for me to express my thoughts and ideas to people who do not know me very well because many do not understand the way I talk or type. This takes patience and practice."
We have faith that this won’t last That this sickness will end In glory, not in death, but We know sometimes they’re the same.
During this season of forced and mutual deprivation, when our consolations are taken from us one by one and we are continually and graphically reminded of the mortality of our species, I turn to the men I support for wisdom and guidance.
My prayer for all five our children, those with and without autism, is that God would reveal himself in a way that they would understand.
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