Last Sunday, as a church-wide commitment to support families with special needs children, a sermon was given by Pastor Ken to show support for these families in the Faith Village community.
Also, a representative from Rainbow Acres, a group home for adults with intellectual disabilities, came and spoke about their facility. I was blessed and encouraged by this Sunday service which is also made available as as an mp3 file below.
EBCLA: Pastor Ken's Sunday service on how some people are born with special needs. (click here)
The two main sermon points addressed were the how and why of dealing with special needs. When a family initially gets hit with the news that a child will not develop typically or is medically fragile, the first question that arises may be why this has happened, later to be followed by the question of how to cope and deal with the disability. But, more so than the how of living with a disabling condition, what has been more enigmatic to me is the question of why. Buddhists believe in the idea of karma, a system of cause and effect as a way of explaining why good and bad things happen to people. If one has done good deeds in life, then "good" karma follows that person and that person is blessed with lucky and auspicious events, and vice versa with "bad" karma. However, I am not so sure how appropriate it is to use this cause and effect explanation to counsel a family devastated by a child with special needs or complex medical conditions. Bad things happen to good people and to say that perhaps a sin committed 5 lifetimes ago is now manifesting as one's "bad karma" does nothing to offer compassionate encouragement for this family. Likewise, humanity over 2000 years ago asked Jesus a similar question in John 9 of the bible:
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
9 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, c“Rabbi,dwho sinned, ethis man or fhis parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but gthat the works of God might be displayed in him.
This is why I love Jesus so much. He makes people look beyond the cause and effect (a very worldly view) to explain tragedies and look to the greatness of God in ALL situations whether good or bad. Jesus says it is nobody's fault why a disability is visited on a family - not the person affected nor his parents! God did it so that goodness can come of it and as a result have God glorified. What does it mean to have God glorified? To me, it means that the world lives in peace and there is no fear, anger, hatred. It means that people like my son is accepted, loved and esteemed as another aspect of God's many manifestations. God is glorified only as a result of the magnanimous choices made among humanity in how it accepts and treats the weak and disabled...but also anyone who is hurting physically and emotionally and well, that just about covers everyone alive. God's greatness is only made manifest when humanity views all beings- disabled or not- with compassion, acceptance and sees them as a different and unique aspect of God. God doesn't force His Will onto humanity, it is a choice made to either magnify Him or reject Him. So many violent world events like war, occupations, genocides, urban crimes, riots I see in the news everyday sometimes leads me to belief that humanity has chosen the latter. But, then there are heartwarming stories of amazing souls who work for the betterment of mankind and it leads me back to hope. I desperately need to hear more of the latter stories than the former to keep me going and continue to have hope for my son.
This is why I love Jesus so much. He makes people look beyond the cause and effect (a very worldly view) to explain tragedies and look to the greatness of God in ALL situations whether good or bad. Jesus says it is nobody's fault why a disability is visited on a family - not the person affected nor his parents! God did it so that goodness can come of it and as a result have God glorified. What does it mean to have God glorified? To me, it means that the world lives in peace and there is no fear, anger, hatred. It means that people like my son is accepted, loved and esteemed as another aspect of God's many manifestations. God is glorified only as a result of the magnanimous choices made among humanity in how it accepts and treats the weak and disabled...but also anyone who is hurting physically and emotionally and well, that just about covers everyone alive. God's greatness is only made manifest when humanity views all beings- disabled or not- with compassion, acceptance and sees them as a different and unique aspect of God. God doesn't force His Will onto humanity, it is a choice made to either magnify Him or reject Him. So many violent world events like war, occupations, genocides, urban crimes, riots I see in the news everyday sometimes leads me to belief that humanity has chosen the latter. But, then there are heartwarming stories of amazing souls who work for the betterment of mankind and it leads me back to hope. I desperately need to hear more of the latter stories than the former to keep me going and continue to have hope for my son.
In the sermon, Pastor Ken states that the understanding of why God did this doesn't take away the pain. It's true. But, if I had a glimpse of heaven and all the machinations that go on up there which set the scene for all the things that happen on Earth, especially why my son is born with an intellectual disability, and knowing God works all things for good, I may be overjoyed all the days of my life! There must be some mysterious reason why God doesn't reveal everything while we are in the flesh so the only comfort I take is knowing that God is with us and He is for us. The question I am now faced with is, is that enough? Is God's love and presence with me enough to compensate for the possibility of encountering harshness in this world, especially with a disabled son? I have the rest of my life to unravel the answer to this question. With time, I hope to understand the depth of what "God is with us and God is for us" means as I journey with Lucas and Gabriel on our special lives together.
John 16:33New International Version (NIV)
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Pastor Ken has introduced me to a new favorite vocabulary word "eschatological". It means that it is only in the end times that all will make sense. Yes, eschatological, indeed.
Pastor Ken has introduced me to a new favorite vocabulary word "eschatological". It means that it is only in the end times that all will make sense. Yes, eschatological, indeed.
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