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The Deaf Church at Brentwood in Nashville has done just that and they claim to have the first church building of its kind in the world . The sound speakers for the worship band are placed face down on a specially vibrating floor so the members can feel the music right under their feet . And adjustments have been made to layout , and even the use of colours , so that the participants feel comfortable and at home .
Aric Randolph who leads the Deaf Church at Brentwood is a huge blessing to me . We have travelled together to China to promote a new Deaf Bible that recognises the way that people with hearing loss prefer visual images rather than written text . It ’ s been a revelation .
Learning from people with disabilities has been very humbling for me . I have a mild form of disability myself which my friends and family have lovingly accepted for most of my life . And my pursuit of answers to the question ‘ why ?’ has taken me deeper into God than I could have ever imagined possible .
The early church mothers and fathers sought answers to the tough issue of disability just as much as we do today . Saint Augustine wrote about it extensively and has been quoted by almost every side in the debate about why we suffer and in what way God will meet us in our pain .
Jesus himself was asked ‘ who sinned ?’ [ John 9 ] when confronted by a person born blind . Was it the individual or their parents ? In one of the most pastoral responses that he ever gave ,
CONSIDERING WALKING AWAY FROM GOD ? I REMEMBER WHEN I FACED THE SAME DILEMMA MYSELF . BUT WHO ARE WE GOING TO TALK TO ONCE WE CLOSE THE DOOR ON JESUS , OUR EVER-PRESENT SAVIOUR , TEACHER , LORD AND FRIEND ?
Jesus pointedly said ‘ neither ’; thus brushing aside the guilt trip that plagues so many sufferers and parents alike . It ’ s not your fault .
Whatever the disability and whatever the cause , the stark fact remains that we have to deal with it ; to live with our own personal situation in the real world . It ’ s like the age-old question of predestination that has fascinated theologians down the centuries . Are these things divinely sent or are they merely permitted ? The point is that , either way , we have no choice but to live with our disabilities and handle them wisely .
Most readers of Preach magazine will know people who have even lost their faith and trust in God over these concerns – we may be one of them ourselves – and we should respond with the utmost courtesy and grace . For who can give the ultimate answer to suffering except for the suffering servant himself ?
Yet for everyone who finds this all too hard to handle , I see as many people drawn ever further into a deep , personal and abiding relationship with Christ . Aric Randolph is just one of them .
Considering walking away from God ? I remember when I faced the same dilemma myself . But who are we going to talk to once we close the door on Jesus , our ever-present saviour , teacher , Lord and friend ? In the words of the Irish poet Dennis O ’ Driscoll , we will ‘ Miss Him ’ as we pick our way through life and find the universe empty of meaning or comfort .
What strikes me is how frequently the saints of old have been disabled . Brother Lawrence , the author of The Practice of the Presence of God , is perhaps the most famous , but there are many others . Margaret of Costello was born blind , had stunted growth and curvature of the spine . Saint Servulus had cerebral palsy . Hermann of Reichenau had a cleft palate , cerebral palsy , and spina bifida . Others had learning disabilities , multiple sclerosis , diabetes , asthma and various impairments to the face .
Whatever the causes and however we navigate our physical challenges , we are in good company . Together , those with disabilities and those who love them , are drawn into a deeper relationship with God . Indeed , writers such as Henri Nouwen believe that physically caring for the disabled gives us the privilege of a front row seat in encountering God .
This is not so surprising when we understand that ‘ the goal of our life is to live with God forever .’ And with this ambition in mind , everyone has something to contribute . According to Saint Ignatius , ‘ everything has the potential of calling forth in us a deeper response to our life in God ’ which undoubtedly includes ‘ health and sickness , wealth or poverty , success or failure , a long life or a short one .’
These are deep mysteries . But I am greatly comforted by the Son of God , who himself was disfigured and disabled on the cross for all the world to see , and who whispers gently to us ‘ I am with you .’
James Catford
James Catford is chair of the publisher SPCK , along with InterVarsity Press and Lion Hudson . He is a consultant to American Bible Society and also serves the Martin Institute at Westmont College in Santa Barbara . Email him at
james @ catfords . com