Emerging Disability???? yep.

and we interrupt this endless thoughts on disablty and medicine to enter the world of disability and theology a plcae where even fewer thread…

One of the central tenants of disability life and culture is community. Although independence is a valuable resource, community is what makes our lives work. When you talk about access, education, employment rights and NO PITY what it all boils down is the right to participate in community. Out of lives of isolation, out of institutions into life.  We fight for independence and indepent living but not as a rejection of community but as a rejection of  false community. Disabled people learn early the value and the needs of relationships with other both physically and socially. Community is not a new trendy concept to us its a lifestyle.

The fact is I can’t push myself up a flight of stairs. I can’t do it. If there is no railing I am in trouble even on my feet, I am in danger of falling flat on my already flatter than normal face.  I know this and so I take the opportunity to reach out and grab a friends arm.  Friends who know me well and of course my family don’t wait for me to ask, they offer their arm and this is a silent, sincere, gesture that does not make me feel pitied but rather supported, loved and  safe.  My friends who are blind rely on their friends even more (although I am not good at serving them in this way because of my gait)  at times where a dog is not going to be able to come with them.  When ever two or more disabled go out together (hysterical stuff happens lol), you will see the meshing of strengths and weaknesses…we help each other where we can, since I am ambulatory I put the chairs in the back of the car and my friends with power chairs let me grab on when we roll a lot and my shoulders get tired (yes imagine a wheelchair train ).  Also we share the struggles with each other, my medical school struggles make fun stories to tell one and all but by telling them I am supporting others who want to do what I am doing, I am also contributing to the wider disaibity narrative of liberation. We support each other not out of pity or out of obligation or because we likey being cheesy but because we need each other.

When I read  or particpate in emerging christian discussions of the early church sharing their resources and talents so that no one was poor or hungry among them or around them.  When people talk to me about intentional community, in living copperatively, in sharing our resources, in living simply. This is what I think about not church, not my Christian friends (although I do love all you dearly), not even my family (who as families go is top notch), I think about disability life.  I know its not exactly the same but I feel that at an abstract level it is. We share what we have in our resources, experiences, in ability and we recieved shared resources in disability.  We don’t deny our weakness but use at as an opporutinty to share and understand.

to be continued at some later date when I don’t have to run off to a wedding in VA….

background for the non-emerging folks out there…

There is much press, discussion and conversation amongst Christians of my generation about how we think the American church missed the boat on well pretty much everything from the gospel to politics to lifestyles to megachurches. Nothing is sacred in this conversation and everything is fair game for scrutiny.  The conversation seeks not so much to rebell but to take our church back to a christ centered radical lifestyle of first century church..the church of the actual bible compared to church of American materialism… Some of these folks call themselves emerging, some of these people are part of house churches, some of these folks call themselves non-denominational, some call themselves post-modern ande some hesitate to lable themselves at all, etc I find myself at home theologically within this conversation.