It’s been a long time coming, but it’s finally available for purchase: The Bible and Disability: A Commentary, ed. Sarah J. Melcher, Mikeal C. Parsons, and Amos Yong. I just received my author’s copy in the mail today (I wrote the section on Luke-Acts). It will be available in stores October 1, 2017, but you can order in…
Four hours after my son Sean was born, our pediatrician informed me that she thought he had Down syndrome. That was a hard pill to swallow, but just as hard was breaking the news to my wife, Harriet, who was still in recovery from a C-section. All at once we were shocked, frightened, saddened, and…
Not long ago I wrote a post on faith and disability resources. A friend of mine was kind enough to point out some resources I had left out. (Thanks, Lynn Swedberg!) The first list wasn’t supposed to be exhaustive by any means, but these additional resources are important, and I’m glad to provide links to…
This year I have the privilege of presenting at the clergy and laity sessions of the West Ohio Annual Conference. The topic of my presentation will be ministry with people with disabilities. Because it’s simply impossible to say everything I’d like to say in a 30-minute presentation, I’ve included some supplemental resources here. This includes…
Here is a paradox. Over the last thirty or forty years, we have invested an enormous amount of thought, emotion, treasure, and blood in what we call human values, human rights, the defence of human dignity and of human life. Over the same period, quietly but devastatingly, science and philosophy have combined to undermine our traditional concept…
When people look at our daughter, Aleksandra, what do they see? Someone who can’t talk, someone who drools, someone who does not believe in personal space and is literally in your face? Some see the sign of sin. We have been interrogated about our conduct: drugs, promiscuity… there must be a cause. Some search further…
I’ve been reading a book called Discovering Trinity in Disability: A Theology for Embracing Difference, by Myroslaw Tataryn and Maria Truchan-Tataryn . I’ll write a longer post about this book at a later time, but for now I want to highlight a chapter on the relationship between disability and iconography. Iconography keeps us connected to the embodied aspects of…
United Theological Seminary recently hosted an event with Ginghamsburg Church on ministry with people with disabilities. It was a great success. During the event many of the speakers talked with great insight and sensitivity about their own journey with disabilities or with loved ones who live with disabilities. Harriet and I spoke about our own…
Imagine that there was a pre-natal test, commonly recommended by medical personnel, to identify children who would experience depression throughout their lives. Upon receiving a positive test, parents were counseled: You know, you might not want to go through with this pregnancy. You’re headed down a very difficult path. You may very well see your…
“From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” (2…