A Spacious Heart

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

- 2 Corinthians 5:17

I attended a seminar with an illuminating title, "That All May Worship: Why A Ramp Is Not Enough". Led by Ginny Owens, the director of the Religion and Disability Program of the National Organization on Disability, this seminar put into question some taken-for-granted assumptions we share in faith-contexts of worship. 

What do we mean by "accessibility" and "inclusion"? Are we merely building a ramp, or are our congregations places of welcome where all people are included? Are barriers to full participation identified and removed? Are people with disabilities contributing to the life of the church as their unique gifts are discovered and affirmed?

Beyond architectural barriers I was reminded that "access" begins in the heart. To be sure, we need elevators and wheelchair-accessible bathrooms in our church facilities, but even more we need an interior renovation of the heart, opening doors for people with disabilities in active ministry.

Some participants of this seminar suggested that, currently, race relations in the church are over-emphasized, while special needs ministries are still neglected. It dawned on me, in light of the presentation, why can't people with disabilities be involved in intercultural ministries, and participate in the global mission of God as people from around the world arrive at our doorstep? Moreover, is it possible that the disabilities community could have a leading role in race relations? Why must Special Needs Ministries be segregated and compartmentalized?

In my mind, what is most striking about people with disabilities is the spaciousness of their hearts, welcoming people and including them, regardless of their ethnicity and cultural background, breaking down deep-seated barriers that divide people groups. With spacious hearts they serve as agents of reconciliation. 

My coworkers represent diverse nationalities, including China, Egypt, Jamaica, Philippines, Pakistan, Nigeria and First Nations. Curiously enough, it's the staff who often run into communication barriers and cultural misunderstandings. The clients I work with have a way of bringing us together with simple open-heartedness. They bear witness to the reconciling power of Jesus Christ, crossing the ethnic, cultural, linguistic, generational lines that divide the world today. 

People from all walks of life gravitate to their sincerity and transparency. People with developmental disabilities don't merely preach pious platitudes, such as "accessibility" and "inclusion", those words are often not even a part of their vocabulary, but unselfconsciously they live out the Good News, "that God was reconciling the world to Christ".