Al Hsu, associate editor at InterVarsity Press, author, and blogger who writes extensively on what it means to do mission in the suburbs has written a very brief reflection on living with his son Elijah, who has down syndrome, and how his son’s disability is related to the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The article is entitled Surprised by Disability: Why the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and you can read in it’s entirety by clicking HERE.
Some of the things in the article that caught me attention include:
Our theology needs to rediscover God’s particular concern for and identification with the disabled. We worship a God who both healed the sick and took on our infirmities as the suffering, crucified Savior. Nancy Eiesland, author of The Disabled God, notes that it’s theologically significant that Jesus’ post-resurrection body still bore the scars.
+++++
Jesus’ ministry of healing gives us hope that the blind will see and the deaf will hear. But that’s not all. The scars in Jesus’ hands and side are not erased, but transformed into testimony to the Resurrection. We don’t know for sure in what ways our disabilities will be healed, but we can have confidence that our resurrected bodies will be even more wondrous than if they had never experienced disability at all.
My family was surprised by disability. Surprised by its unexpected nature, but also by the unanticipated blessings that Elijah has brought into our lives. Down syndrome may well be an effect of the Fall, but by God’s grace, it has also become for us a window into the joy of the kingdom of God.
+++
Please consider reading this very brief but thoughtful reflection by clicking HERE.
