THE DEVIL OWNS DISABILITY

God owns disability
One of my Favourite Blogs is Disabled Christianity. I think it may be the most important voice in the modern evangelical church, but of course only a few have ears (or hearts) to hear.

In November 2006 Professor Jeff McNail of California Baptist University rwote a watershed post that he first called 'THE DEVIL OWNS DISABILITY'. He subsequently changed the title to 'God Owns Disability' for reasons you can discover when you read the full piece at

http://disabledchristianity.blogspot.com/2006/11/god-owns-disability.html



PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE
read the whole piece and the comments as well.
You will be moved and challenged and be made a better person for the thoughts expressed there.



At the Joni and Friends "Through the roof summit" recently in Pasadena, Joni Eareckson-Tada made a comment something to the effect at the moment, "Satan owns disability." Make no mistake, Joni was reflecting the perceptions of many regarding people how people with disabilities are perceived, and the ramification of those perceptions. My understanding of the context of her statement is that disability is often accompanied by such things as fear, depression, despair, anger, frustration, family break-up, hopelessness, loneliness. In the face of these experiences all too often a part of being a person experiencing disability, the Church is largely silent, not very interested, unwilling, ignorant. Together, the result is that Satan has a foothood in disbility. People are depressed and frustrated and we are ignorant. People are scared or ignorant, and we have nothing to tell them from our experience. People are angry and despairing, and we are not very interested and unwilling to do anything that will change our patterns of operation, or cause us any discomfort or change in our schedule. The more I think about it, the more I agree with her.Her response, however, was to say that it is time for the Church to take back disability. To encourage the depressed and despairing, to be there for them in friendship and support. To empathize with the angry and frustrated, and love them unconditionally. To prove to them that we will not reject them. To end hopelessness by providing hope, not just for eternal life but for life............


http://disabledchristianity.blogspot.com/2006/11/god-owns-disability.html