In these initiatives, ‘tolerance’ is not the point. My Lords, I can ‘tolerate’ someone standing on the other side of the street. I don’t need to engage with them. ‘Tolerance’ all too easily supposes that all religions are basically the same, and that all of them can be discounted for the purposes of public life. No, my Lords: ‘tolerance’ is a parody of something deeper, richer and more costly, for which we must work: a genuine and reciprocal freedom, a freedom properly contextualised within a wise responsibility, freedom not to be gratuitously rude or offensive, especially to those who are already in danger on the margins of society, but to speak the truth as we see it while simultaneously listening to the truth as others see it, and to work forwards from there.He attempts to place the now-famous Danish cartoons and the Muslim reaction to them within the context of a larger social and moral framework.
. . . .Hadn't he had enough challenges to last him a lifetime?
His wife, on the other hand, was ever drumming up a challenge. During their year at the farm, conveniently located twenty minutes from Mitford, she'd decided to ccomplish three lifetime goals: learn needlepoint, make perfect oven fries, and read War and Peace.
* * * * *
He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the back of the wing chair. "I believe if I were charged with having a goal, it would be to live without fretting--to live more fully in the moment, not always huffing about as I've done in recent years . . . to live humbly--and appreciatively--with what ever God furnishes.
Bill asked for these admonitions to be printed on a card, with the following verses on the back:Following Jesus of Nazareth
Beloved followers of Christ around the world, I embrace you with the love of our risen Savior in Whom dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and through Whom alone we can know our Awesome Creator; now by His Holy Spirit I give you this charge to keep:
Love the Lord God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength; keep His commandments and practice His Golden Rule.
Surrender to our Matchless Master as a royal slave, obeying and enjoying life with Him, trusting in His presence, power, and promises.
Meditate upon the attributes of the One True Living God, and let your faith reflect His greatness and character in all your ways.
Love your family as Christ loves you.
Depend upon the power of the Holy Spirit both to begin and to complete His plan for your role in helping to fulfill the Great Commission.
Memorize His Holy Word to fortify yourself for spiritual warfare.
By faith, walk in His light, enjoy His presence, love with His love, and rejoice that you are never alone; He is with you always, to bless!
The Great Commandments (Matt. 22:37-39)The founder and chairman/president emeritus of Campus Crusade was born October 19, 1921, and passed away from complications of pulmonary fibrosis on July 19, 2003.
The Golden Rule (Matt. 7:12)
The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17)
* * * * * * *Kay is convinced that the church is the answer to the world’s global giants, like AIDS.
“The evangelical church has been asleep at the wheel,” she says. “We have been absent from our post in caring for people and their needs for a very long time now. But I see repentance happening. I see people waking up with the same shock that I did and wanting to respond. That fills me with hope.”
Kay knows the world won’t be perfect until Jesus returns.
“But we can push back the darkness,” she says. “We can bring His presence and His light. We can be His hands that relieve the suffering, that comfort the dying, that care for the sick.”
I appreciate Dee's help. Read her favorites in her sevens meme. These are her recommendations to me, for continuing education.. . . . What kind of a list would you, as a Christian, give someone like me to watch and read, if I wanted to have a more "integrated" mind? I would like to post it on my blog, and credit you as recommending them-- maybe five books and five movies.
I know about Frederick Douglass and James Baldwin, but have not read them. I did a project on the Harlem Renaissance in graduate school a number of years ago, but can only remember Zora Neale Hurston. I have read Toni Morrison's Beloved.
I have seen The Color Purple, Do the Right Thing, The Bishop's Wife (Whitney Houston), Glory, and maybe some others, with black lead characters-- especially Denzel Washington. Also, Hotel Rwanda. But I am talking more about America [the U.S.]. A few months ago, we saw one with James Earl Jones and Robert Duvall, A Family Thing. It was pretty good. I recommend it, if you haven't seen it. . .
My favorite Christmas poem is Luci Shaw's Mary's Song.* I recommend reading it, sometime during the season.. . . Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness . . . .Philippians 2:5b-7 (NIV)
"Where do you draw the line?" said Mark A. Rothstein, director of the Bioethics Institute at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. "On the one hand we have to view this as a positive in terms of preventing disability and illness. But at what point are we engaging in eugenics and not accepting the normal diversity within a population?"Dear Mr. Rothstein,
Amendment IThis week I (inadvertently) angered someone in a newsgroup by quoting our bumpersticker:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.I am thankful the First Amendment protects freedom of speech, along with freedom of religion, the press, and assembly.
Mother Teresa 1910-1997
(I just noticed the parallel to "chosen" and "given" I noted in November thanksgiving 9: family.)The duty towards humanity may often take the form of some choice which is personal or even pleasurable. . . .
But we have to love our neighbour because he is there — a much more alarming reason for a much more serious operation. He is the sample of humanity which is actually given us. Precisely because he may be anybody he is everybody. He is a symbol because he is an accident.
---G.K. Chesterton (HT: Read the entire quote at Wittingshire.)
*For some reason, my husband is always a little miffed at this analogy. :-)If you could give advice to new parents of kids with Down syndrome, what would you say to them?
The first thing I would say is what a very great lady said to me on the day we learned Ned had Down syndrome: “It’s not the end of the world.” Or to paraphrase what Emily Perl Kingsley once said: “You thought you were flying to Italy. You were set for Italy, you’d studied the language, knew the sights you wanted to see. And then you landed in Holland.* Not Italy. A different place. Not necessarily a bad place, just not what you were expecting.” And I would add, “So learn some Dutch, and get on with it.”I would also say this: If you let it happen—and that’s a big but crucial if—there will be joy, and laughter, and sorrow, there will be tragedies but also triumphs. As quickly as you can, get over your self-pitying belief that the gods have screwed you. Embrace people who embrace your child, and ignore the others. Especially ignore those who want to show you how compassionate they are by sharing your tragedy. You don’t have a tragedy, you have a child, and you can get as much satisfaction from that child as you’d get from any child. But there’s no question you’ll have to give more; give more of your life, of your time, of your energy, of everything you have, if you want to make that child’s life a success. In other words, you’re about to find out just what kind of person you really are.
"Don't you like a rather foggy day in a wood in autumn? You'll find we shall be perfectly warm sitting in the car."
Jane said she'd never heard of anyone liking fogs before but she didn't mind trying. All three got in.
"That's why Camilla and I got married, " said Denniston as they drove off. "We both like Weather. Not this or that kind of weather, but just Weather. It's a useful taste if one lives in England."
"How ever did you learn to do that, Mr. Denniston?" said Jane. "I don't think I should ever learn to like rain and snow.""It's the other way around," said Denniston. "Everyone begins as a child by liking Weather. You learn the art of disliking it as you grow up.
Noticed it on a snowy day? The grown-ups are all going about with long faces, but look at the children - and the dogs? They know what snow's made for.-C.S. Lewis, That Hideous Strength, Chapter 5. (HT: The Window in the Garden Wall. I couldn't find our copy this morning. :-)
An advocate . . . speaks on behalf of another . . . . Implicit in the concept is the notion that the represented lacks the knowledge, skill, ability, or standing to speak for themselves. (Wikipedia)
1. This past Saturday I heard several advocates for people with disabilities speak. I appreciate improvements they have made over the years in the lives of people with handicaps, though they have sometimes been more radical in their demands than I would have been.
2. I recently picked up Art Gish's* Hebron Journal from the "Middle East" table at our annual International Festival. Gish recounts his experiences as part of a Christian Peacemaker team in the Hebron area, 1995-2001. The team advocated for Palestinians: listening to those on each side of the conflict; reporting to those outside the area; taking meaningful, nonviolent action; and working with other local nonviolent groups.
3. Last week, as part of the Narnia film hoopla, our local paper printed an article on C.S. Lewis, under the headline "C.S. Lewis: Christ's Advocate." (The title seemed backward. See definition above.) Christ is our Advocate, for which we are thankful.
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. . . .
I John 2:1, KJV
Speaking up for those less powerful is a risk; it takes time, effort, and courage. I'm thankful for advocates, people who speak for the weak.
*Gish is part of New Covenant Fellowship, a Christian commune affiliated with the Church of the Brethren.
Additional reading: Lisa, blogging at Ability Not Disability, shares a story of advocating for her daughter (which ended up with her picture on the front of NY Newsday!).
I just have to tell you how important our lactation counselor was in helping me through the early days of our son's life. I was in shock for awhile. His immediate success at nursing was such a boon. It gave me something to work on; it gave me a vision of him being successful; it created that bond from the physical intimacy of nursing. I will never forget that woman: Diane. I am so grateful to her.When I was pregnant, I learned that Earth Mothers were not the only women nursing. I took infant care classes at the hospital and read a number of books. I learned the nutritional and emotional benefits of nursing, and decided to give it a try. The Lamaze teacher warned* we would have to be aggressive about getting the help of a lactation consultant, in the maternity ward. The other hospital staff would not make it their priority.
During the Civil War both the North and the South attempted to draft Mennonites and Dunkards into the army to fight for their respective causes. Abraham [Good, my great-great grandfather] was one of those who helped people having a conscience against enlisting to escape from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. One account is given of a group who refused to take up arms. Some ninety Dunkard Brethren and Mennonites met at Weaver's church late one night in the spring of 1862. They were about to be drafted. Their plan was to flee through West Virginia toward freedom into the Ohio Territory, where many of their brethren had already gone.
These men chose as their guide, the mountain hunter, Abraham Good. This capable backwoods man knew the ridges of the Shenandoah Mountains like the back of his hand. Some called him "Sawmill Abe"; others called him "Bear Abe," because he had sometimes shot bears at close range in their dens or, if no bear was in evidence when he arrived at a den, had holed up there himself for the night.
Abraham led this group heading north-west over steep mountains to the Potomac River, where they were stopped by Confederate scouts who demanded they dismount and hand over their horses and guns. One of the men in the gorup insturcted his men "Oh, brethren, pay mightily to God, He will deliver us." Reluctantly the men gave up their mounts, but they carried no guns.
This group was escorted back to Staunton, Virginia, herded on a train and sent to Richmond, Virginia to be imprisoned. As they were called before the examiner of the War Department and stated the reasons why they would not take up arms, the officer became impressed and commanded the Dunkard and Mennonite brethren to be set free. In October of 1862 exemption for conscientious objectors** was enacted. This law provided for hiring substitutes for service by paying conscription fees of $500.00 into the public treasury, of which many families took advantage.*
Following this incident, Good suffered harrassment and narrowly escaped execution, after being accused of carrying war news during trips to Ohio. As a result, he moved his family to northern Ohio. One of his sons, my great-grandfather, settled southeast, near Turkey Run. The church went through many changes over the years, deaths from smallpox, tensions related to language change (from German), migrations for cheaper farmland, etc.
A few years later, a traveling bishop visited. Concerned about retaining the young people, he prayed,
"May God grant that the glorious doctrine of our church, the doctrine for which our forefathers fled from one city to another, and from one country to another, for which thousands laid down their lives at the stake, on the cross and at the block, may still have its divine influence on the hearts and souls of many and lead them to be faithful followers of the meek and lowly Jesus." Grant M. Stoltsfus, Mennonites of the Ohio and Eastern Conference, 1969, p. 94.
Since then, the church has sent a disproportionately large number of its members to serve on the missionfield, in countries including: Somalia, Kenya, Central America, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Canada.
But there were also many who faithfully served at home, teaching Sunday School classes, cleaning the church, mowing the cemetery and the multitude of other jobs that needed to be done, and without which the service abroad would also not have been accomplished, and which so often are overlooked and unheralded.*
I look back at these people, and at my own grandparents, and am so thankful for the faith and values they handed down, and for the vessels of tradition it was carried in. I wonder how well I am doing at preserving the essentials I received. To whom am I responsible to pass them? In what forms should I carry them?
*All quotes are from The History of Turkey Run Mennonite Church, researched and recorded by C. and L. Wesselhoeft, 2003.ADDED: Don't miss part two: Narnia Comes to Life.CT: You've said, "Jack was the finest man and the best Christian I've ever known." Why do you feel that way?
Gresham: Jack was a man who was always available, and I think this is the crux of Christianity. We all tend to read complex Christian books analyzing the Scriptures, analyzing the various doctrines. And all that does is complicate the issues. God sent down all his rules and regulations; they were ignored. He sent the prophets; they were ignored. Jesus came down himself to tell us how to live real human lives, and he was ignored. Since then, scholars have written critical and analytical things about the Scriptures. But C. S. Lewis wrote in his books, This is how to do what Jesus taught. His message is, "Stop talking about it, stop studying it, just get out there and do Christianity." Jack did it.
The Chicago White Sox are two games away from their first World Series championship in 88 years.
Several weeks ago, when we were in south Chicago on a Sunday, my husband's aunt taught a children's Sunday School class. The lesson was part of a series on the Ten Commandments. That day's study focused on "You shall have no other gods before me." To get the idea across to the children, she told them that they should not worship the Chicago White Sox above God.
These children of Dutch immigrants* take their baseball seriously. It's more than a sport. It's about class and identity. From the New York Times:
I wouldn't go so far as to use the word "hatred," but emotions run high. My father-in-law has been waiting for the Sox to play in the World Series since their last berth in 1959--my husband, all his life.The last time the Sox went to a World Series was 1959, and they have not won since 1917. Across town, the Cubs made it to the series in 1945, and they won it most recently almost a century ago, in 1908.
. . . .this rivalry, like most, is about more than baseball. It is about perceptions of class and race and heritage on the two sides of Madison Street, the line that splits the city into North and South.
"In truth, I'd say there's no difference between the people that root at either park," said Rob Levoy, a White Sox fan who has moved to the North Side. "But the perception is that the North Side owns the city and the South Side built it."
The hatred," he said, "is real."
And so, South Siders have gone right on moaning that elites crowd into the ivied Wrigley Field caring more about getting tan, talking on cellphones and planning their post-game, North Side bar-hopping than about baseball.
North Siders, meanwhile, gripe that the fans at U.S. Cellular Field (the White Sox park that many here still call Comiskey) are too rough, too wild and inhabit a dismally ugly stadium, whatever its name, in a neighborhood with little to do.
If you have time, check out Christianity Today's Fear Not the Disabled.
In the debate over human embryonic stem cells, Christians are right to defend the humanity and dignity of the embryo. But our well-reasoned words are unlikely to convince people who fear disease and incapacitation if we do not also demonstrate real pro-life compassion for a whole class already here—people with disabilities.
* * * * * *
Whether the law mandates it or not, we should make every reasonable effort, especially as we build new facilities, to remove the physical barriers that keep the disabled from our houses of worship. This means providing curb cuts, ramps, adequate handicapped parking spaces, and doors and aisles wide enough for a wheelchair.* If we don't, they won't come. The disabled and the family members who care for them constitute one of the great unreached groups of our time.**
Just as important as physical accommodation is an attitude that welcomes the physically and mentally challenged with open arms. A church that welcomes the disabled is great, but a bolder step forward is for churches to be inclusive. When people with disabilities are recognized as participants, not as "the needy," we all benefit. Paul reminded the Corinthians that "the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable." The disabled need the church—almost as much as the church needs the disabled.
Many of us over here in the "parallel universe" know this. As a friend who has pushed disability ministry in the church uphill for years says, "The public schools are doing a better job of including people with disabilities than the churches are." Sleepers, awake.
How many times have you seen a person with a significant handicap performing a meaningful task/function in a church?
Relevant link: Christian Council on Persons with Disabilities
*Don't forget those with poor vision and the hearing-impaired.
**Don't forget the doctors, nurses, therapists, aides, social workers, and educators who watch.
What I don't understand is how we as a society can tacitly write off a whole group of people as having no value. I'd like to think that it's time to put that particular piece of baggage on the table and talk about it, but I'm not optimistic. People want what they want: a perfect baby, a perfect life. To which I say: Good luck. Or maybe, dream on.And here's one more piece of un-discussable baggage: This question is a small but nonetheless significant part of what's driving the abortion discussion in this country. I have to think that there are many pro-choicers who, while paying obeisance to the rights of people with disabilities, want at the same time to preserve their right to ensure that no one with disabilities will be born into their own families. The abortion debate is not just about a woman's right to choose whether to have a baby; it's also about a woman's right to choose which baby she wants to have.
* * * * * * *
Last week, Mel of Actual Unretouched Photo linked to a Harvard Gazette article about a study by Brian Skotko, a med school student. Skotko, who has a sister with Down syndrome researched the manner in which physicians tell parents their baby has Down syndrome, and made recommendations for improvement.
Doctors continue to find it very challenging to deliver a diagnosis like Down syndrome to an otherwise happy expectant mom," says Skotko, who has a 24-year-old sister with Down syndrome and co-authored the award-winning book "Common Threads: Celebrating Life With Down Syndrome" (Band of Angels Press). "But the results of this study are conclusive: Delivering a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome does not have to be a gloomy affair. In fact, mothers in this study have now written the prescription on how best to explain the diagnosis in a loving manner."* * * * * * *
But then, Ms. Bergeron said something that quieted the room. Despite her many successes and a level of integration that once seemed impossible to imagine for someone with her disability, Ms. Bergeron said she still didn't have many close friends. Often, she added, "I felt lonely."
Many people with disabilities, and sometimes their families, do feel they live between two worlds. Sometimes they feel invisible in our culture. I am glad when attention is paid.Ms. Bergeron's dilemma is especially poignant because people with Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities increasingly find themselves succeeding in mainstream society. They go to public schools, taking classes, joining sports teams and singing in the choir with classmates. They work at jobs in the community. But still, like Ms. Bergeron, they often find themselves caught between two worlds.
Over the years, I’ve had to advocate staunchly for my son . . . . In those early years I was devastated after every meeting. I felt exhausted—like one of the “Dementors” from Harry Potter had sucked all but a last breath from me. In just a short time, “advocacy” became synonymous with anger and frustration.She validates the feelings of parents:
I agree that more often than not parents have a lot to be frustrated and angry about. Constantly maneuvering to find someone who sees your child as a great kid (rather than being told all the things he can’t do) is not easy. Living under the microscope of special education without feeling judged at some point is impossible. The evaluation” is not limited to academics, school situations, or your child’s strengths. Folks tend to want to know just what it is we’re doing at home to teach our children.
I’ve been doing some reading on forgiveness over the past year. I am increasingly convinced it is the missing link in advocacy efforts.
She describes what forgiveness is, and what it is not, then goes on to say:
I believe forgiveness strengthens my ability to advocate effectively. By letting go of resentment and anger, people are more willing to talk and problem-solve. They are less likely to worry the discussion will become a battle with an angry parent. Remember, forgiving someone does not mean they are not accountable for their actions. No one loses their rights by forgiving an injustice.
This is a timely article. Like Joan, I have experienced frustration in dealing with educators, medical professionals, and social service providers. Joan is bringing a gift to this "field of discourse" by introducing the issue of forgiveness. We need the healing and empowerment it can bring, for both ourselves and our children.
Joan, who is also editor of Disability Solutions, is a nutritionist and author of The Down Syndrome Nutrition Handbook: A Guide to Promoting Healthy Lifestyles.
*This article was posted October 12, and will eventually disappear from this web site and be linked by date at the bottom of it.
Speaking of whom, he made it clear during the trip that he appreciates a king-size bed and McDonald's hot apple pies. Either of which is preferable to pizza, chocolate, or shrimp.Inspired by the forthcoming film . . . of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, this conference celebrates C.S. Lewis's contribution to literature, theology, apologetics, scholarship, popular culture, myth, and imagination. 'Past Watchful Dragons' will also consider the work of the constellation of writers associated with Lewis such as J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, Owen Barfield, and Dorothy Sayers.Speakers include:
I once had an English instructor who told the class she found October the most beautiful season of the year in Ohio. Until then, I had always taken our autumns for granted, and liked earth's wakening in spring best. Now, I take neither for granted, and find both beautiful.
