I was thinking this morning about how our churches (for the large part) seem to be homogeneous, meaning, the people in our churches all seem to look alike and be very much alike. I wondered is there a place for the marginalized of our society in our church, or would we marginalize them the same way the world does, just because they are different from us?
For example, what about those people who are mentally or physically disabled? I have no doubt that our churches would feel compassion for these people. I have no doubt that our churches would offer to help these people by offering food or money. I have no doubt that our churches would pray for these people, but I wonder if we would make a place for them amidst us.
These are two very different concepts. The first allows us to help the disabled. But, in the second, we are opening up our world and allowing them to contribute and actually help us. This would take much patience and love, and I am sure that it would be much quicker for me to cook a meal for my family than it would be for someone who is physically disabled.
This is the crux of the matter. Do we have time not only to give but to allow someone else to give to and minister to us? Can we slow down and see that Jesus didn’t just give handouts to people and promise to pray for them; he spent time with them and allowed them to minister to him.
I have recently read about a community begun my Jean Vanier (a priest) called L’Arche (pronounced Larsh). The name means “ark” in French. In this community, disabled people live with those who are not disabled and they all contribute to life in the community. After all, we are to be a community – contributing to each other.
Jean Vanier and Stanley Hauerwas co-wrote a book entitled Living Gently in a Violent World: The Prophetic Witness of Weakness. In this book, Vanier describes his community and makes some compelling arguments about how this accurately reflects the heart of God. He even makes an argument along the lines that in order to be a “Friend of God,” a phrase which I think is often misused by many people, one must embrace the weakness and frailty in one’s society the way Jesus did.
Hauerwas takes a somewhat more political view and argues that we must, as a society, allow the disabled to find their place in our communities. We have become a society where we are focused on cures, and we have no time for care. When we cannot cure someone, we want to hide him/her away in shame. But, this is not the desire of God, nor is it healthy for our communities.
I agree with the two authors of this book and would encourage anyone to read it. It is not long (less than 100 pages after you take out the table of contents and other things of that nature), but the book was heart-wrenching and helped me to see that ministry is not always about doing things for people who have less than you – sometimes, it is about allowing them to minister to you. You may see yourself change right before your eyes.
Blessings,
Dee
