Taking The Long View
By Revd Glen Graham
Until 8 years ago, I would never have defined myself as
disabled, despite being blind since birth. I knew I was
different, but I lived as a ‘normal’ person whose eyes didn’t
work.
But when I became chair of the Baptist Union Disability
Justice group in November 2011, my perspective changed. I
believed (and to some extent still do) I lead a privileged life.
I had friends, a vocation, enriching life experiences and two
degrees. As I heard how many disabled people had been
made to feel unwelcome in Church, not allowed to fully
participate, or even excluded completely, I realised I had
been playing the “I’m okay, you’re okay” game, pretending
all was okay when it wasn’t. I had accommodated myself to
celebrating the good and make excuses for the bad, like
playing down the discrimination I experienced getting a
Call as Pastor to a Church. I realised a number of things.
Firstly, that I am a disabled person because society and
institutions disable me.
Second, I had suffered at the hands of the Church.
(I received a full apology from the central resource of my
denomination and enjoy excellent working relations with
them).
Finally, that it isn’t primarily about me. I have a voice. But
many disabled people don’t. That’s why I do what I do.
Eight years on I am delighted to be a Roofbreaker, and
chair of the Baptist Union Disability Justice group and the
Churches for All network. I love God, I love God’s Church
and the whole of humanity made in His image. I long to tell
the world how disabled people display the image of God
just as we are, and to show the Church what’s missing
when disabled people aren’t playing our God-chosen part
in the heart of everything we do.
The barriers are starting to come down, but there is a long
way to go. That’s why we have to take the long view.
Glen is an ordained Baptist Minister leading a church
in Devon. Please pray that he can influence and bring
about positive change where God has placed him.
A Changed Man
Just one story from Wheels for the World in Uganda 2019
Maurice is 34. He worked in IT in Juba, South Sudan, until it
was devastated by war. In 2015 he was paralysed in an
accident and carried to relative safety in northern Uganda.
He now lives in the world’s largest refugee camp, Bidi Bidi,
with 270,000 people. 19,000 of them need a mobility aid!
Maurice’s wife left him because of his disability, so he is
now a single Dad with a 4-year old in harsh circumstances.
He has nasty pressure sores from living on a mud hut floor.
There’s free healthcare at the camp, but Maurice is stuck
indoors with no-one to carry him there.
Many called him a ‘waste of time’ but our team heard of his
situation when we partnered with Health Hope Action
(HHA), a UK Christian NGO. Team-member Marianne
assessed him, dressed his wounds, and fitted him with a
wheelchair with pressure-relieving cushioning. Sitting
upright he looked a changed man. A wheelchair means he
can now get the medical help he needs. “Disability is not
inability”, he smiled, and said the wheelchair will enable
him to visit other disabled people to encourage them. Your
support changed Maurice’s life—thank you!
You can find videos, photos, and many more stories from
the trip to the Refugee Centres in North Uganda at
www.throughtheroof.org. See earlier in the magazine for
details on joining a future trip.
Your support means Maurice can now access medical care
www.throughtheroof.org