I recently heard an outstanding discussion about disability and faith on the Unbelievable podcast (1). It was a powerful show because it challenged the way I had previously viewed disability. The guests on the show shared the discomfort they felt when others would approach them and pray for their healing. Since healing doesn’t always come, prayers for restoration left them feeling perpetually broken, prayers to be made whole made them feel empty. What if those of us who prayed for sight were the ones who were blind? What if the ones laying on hands were the ones who were lame? What if a prayer warrior actually harmed the disabled with friendly fire? Didn’t Jesus say that His power was found in weakness?
When Jesus and His followers encountered the man born blind, the disciples immediately viewed him as afflicted and even went to the extreme of suggesting that his disability was the result of some sin. Jesus quickly set things straight and told them that God’s work would be displayed through this man. I think most of us interpret this to mean that Jesus’ glory would be revealed when He healed the man, but what if God’s power was actually displayed in the man’s weakness itself? Paul never had his thorny disability healed despite asking God to remove it three times, yet, God still called Paul’s weakness His strength.
We all have seen examples of the amazing things that disabled people can do when they set their minds and bodies to a task. Deficits in one area only strengthens others. Disabled people are often able to do more with what they don’t have while the rest of us do less with what we do have.
What can God possibly mean when He tells us that His power is found in weakness?
Interestingly, Jesus often added forgiveness of sins to His physical healings. He knew that a healed limb without a healed spirit just provided a person with one more way to sin. When we think of physical healing, we often forget the soul surgery. The elephant in the room is spiritual wholeness, but sadly, we obsess over the damaged foot or eye and miss the power of the pachyderm. Zoe, one of the guests on Unbelievable, pointed out that if physical healing was such a big part of Jesus’ ministry then you would think that it would have been emphasized more. While Jesus certainly performed many healings, He made it clear that the culmination of His ministry would be His own death.
Since we don’t need to train our bodies for the resurrection, it would seem that physical wholeness is not a prerequisite to be a productive citizen in the New Jerusalem. In fact, Jesus even went so far as to suggest that heaven will have more handicapped parking than regular parking.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5: 3-10)
What do disabled people have to offer when it comes to spirituality? Everything!
While we waste our time fussing over physical imperfections, the disabled are spending time in the gym bench-pressing their own cross and becoming spiritually buff. Jerry Sittser, in his amazing book, A Grace Disguised, suggested that those who experience pain and suffering undergo soul expansion.
Sorrow is noble and gracious. It enlarges the soul until the soul is capable of mourning and rejoicing simultaneously, of feeling the world’s pain and hoping for the world’s healing at the same time. However painful, sorrow is good for the soul … What I once considered mutually exclusive – sorrow and joy, pain and pleasure, death and life – have become parts of a greater whole. My soul has been stretched.
The disciples saw a shriveled hand, but Jesus saw a larger-than-life soul. The disciples saw a man trapped in darkness, but Jesus saw a light on a hill. The disciples saw a woman with a chronic hemorrhage, but Jesus saw a spiritual transfusion. The disciples considered the disabled to be immobile and shaky, but Jesus considered them the movers and shakers of the Kingdom to come.
Zoe said she had an encounter with God where she was assured that it was OK to be herself. Her experience serves to remind us that we also need to let the disabled be OK with themselves. Jesus pointed to the disabled and declared, “Behold my power!” We need to heed Jesus’ words and stop treating them like a power outage and instead plug in and recharge our own faith.
I would suggest that God also became disabled when He took the form of a man and suffered and died on a cross. His disability was even memorialized by His resurrection scars. Theoretically, you could argue that it would have been a better story if Jesus was resurrected without His scars because then we would have known that He not only conquered death but also deformity. Thankfully, when we get to heaven and shake His hand we will feel the rough reminder that He was once like us.
We all have disabilities, whether emotional, physical, or intellectual. Disabilities that will leave us with scars which will most likely persist in heaven. We need to remember that a scar isn’t an open wound but a healed injury. A scar just means that you have a good story to tell. Instead of strumming harps when we die, I envision us all sitting around a campfire sharing “Scary” stories. Not to compare how much we suffered but to joyously proclaim how much Jesus did for us. Zoe also said that she didn’t think we would be separated from our stories in heaven. I agree; I think our scars will be the opening pages to our own personal chapters in the Book of Life.
A heaven without scars is a heaven without redemption. We don’t get to bypass the cross on our way to the pearly gates. Disability is the way of salvation and Jesus has the wounds to prove it. Maybe the reason the gate is so narrow is because it is specially designed for wheelchair access.
(1) Unbelievable is a British radio show featuring dialogue and debate between Christians and skeptics. It is the best forum I know of for thoughtful discussion about God, culture, and science. The host Justin Brierley does a masterful job of making everyone feel welcome and moderating the dialogue with wit, humor and sensitivity. I have attached the link to the show.
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