Joni and Friends, an international disability center founded by Joni Eareckson Tada and based in California, sent a team to Bucharest to conduct a conference on disability ministry. The conference ran both Friday and Saturday. Among those who attended the conference were employees and volunteers from disability aid organizations, concerned church members, and young adults with special needs or their family members. While I didn't gain the technical information I thought I would from a "special education" conference, I was reminded anew of God's heart towards individuals with disabilities and our call to love them in Jesus' name.
During the first session, we talked as a group about the barriers, or obstacles, which interfere with the lifestyles of people with special needs. Among those named were handicap access to buildings, stereotypes and assumptions by those both in and out of the church, fear, rejection by family and society, complacency, and religious teachings. Despite the passage of various accessibility laws, handicap access remains a significant problem in Romania. Many public buildings are not accessible to those using wheelchairs or walkers; the ramps that do exist are often very steep and rutted. I appreciated the personal testimonies that were shared about living with these barriers.
The second session was a general discussion on disabilities, while the third session covered God's view of people with disabilities. Scripture passages such as Genesis 1:26-27, Colossians 1:15-16, and Psalm 139:13-16 were read aloud. Listening to the comments made around me, it struck me that God does not name a single exception to the perfection of His creation in these verses. These words apply to all mankind, regardless of our abilities or disabilities.
We covered two main topics on the second day of the conference. Curses and demonic possession were the topics of the first session. I was surprised to find this an applicable topic in Romania. Many still hold to the superstitious beliefs that a disability is the result of a curse, punishment for someone's sin, or demon possession. It was a blessing to see the relief on faces in the audience as they realized they were not at fault for a family member's disability.
In the second session, we talked about ministry models - what we can actually do to make a difference in the lives of people with special needs. Two of my favorite suggestions were the Build-a-Ramp Day and Sports & Recreation Day. Build-a-Ramp day entails exactly what it suggests: getting a group together and building ramps in your community to make it easier for people using wheelchairs and walkers to access local buildings. To host a Sports & Recreation Day, plan some games and activities and invite people both with and without disabilities to come fellowship together. Keep in mind the unique needs of each person who will be present as you plan the event; you may get to make some slight changes to the game in order for everyone to be able to participate.
"A disability is nothing more than a normality in a different dimension."
No comments:
Post a Comment