Can we be a ‘Staff’ in the hands of the PWD’s?

As I read Exodus 4:10-17, a clear picture was drawn in my mind. A fearful Moses expressing his difficulty to a God who knows it all; a vivid image that displays the treatment of PWD’s in the Ancient West Asian setting. The fear of Moses in this passage makes explicit claims of the anguish he has seen in his life as a person with speech disability or impairment. If Moses has gone to the extent of challenging God, by questioning the very selection process, highlights the intensity of issues pertaining to the PWD’s and their leadership.

Is it not the same way the PWD’s are treated even today? The ‘abled’ world and society has only made the lives of PWD’s even worst than to make it easy for them. We wish to build ramps for our luxury so that our cars can be mobile, but when we think of making ramps for the PWD’s we call that expense. We wish to invite PWD’s to worship with us, but expect them to read, sing, and worship like us. We fail to make Braille bibles, song books, prayer books available. We make it hard for the few PWD’s who cannot hear, yet we fail to understand the need of a sign interpreter. We build our worship places with stairs so that symbolically intimate them that they are excluded. 

We not only exclude the PWD’s in our midst, but even their families. By preaching a compulsory attendance to Church, we have failed to relate with the difficulties of the families of PWD’s. We neglect the cost of travelling to and from church is higher because there is a need to transport a PWD with wheel chair or other disability equipment.

All these reasons mentioned above have built innate notions of inferiority in the minds of PWD’s and their caregivers. It has only crippled them more. This is not because of their understanding but because of our ignorance of their roles in the society and the church. We will stand speechless and ashamed, if a PWD would turn around and ask: how many PWD’s has your Church ordained? How many have you encouraged for Theological training/education? How many PWD’s are in the administrative leadership of your Church/Diocese/Synod? How many PWD’s have a voice, in the local congregation? How many Churches have data of their PWD members?

These questions only belittles the work our churches had done this far. The Church’s work among PWD’s when they were isolated was a radical step towards inclusion. However, in the process is has turned into and act merely during programs, occasions and festivals. Thus, belittling PWD concerns and programatizing them. Is there any way we could change this systemic sin that we jointly commit against them?

The read passage gives us a hint what can be done in this context. Here God is seen as a benevolent divine who in anger claims the reason for PWD’s being disabled, and affirms they too were made by God. Therefore, establishing the fact that God created the PWD’s like all of us. God assures God’s presence along with Moses. However, God does not just stop there, but gives him a staff as a symbol to perform divine signs. This staff is what we are called to be. If we were to be like Aaron we would choose to speak for them and creep over to subdue their voice. But being a staff in the hands of the PWD’s is completely different.

The staff in the hands of Moses was a bridge between God’s work and Moses. Every time God did something through Moses, he was asked to stretch out his hand/staff and the divine signs occurred.  Though the staff seemed literally important, it did not play a vital role in the divine occurrences that the Hebrews encountered. It was merely an instrument, which gave Moses the confidence to work God’s wonders.

This deliberate role of the staff challenges us today, to be staffs in the hands of the PWD’s who are called by God to reform God’s creation in and through their disability. It would be a danger if we choose to be Aaron's in this context. For the evil of representation would accompany, which thrives to become their voice itself, making the PWD’s voiceless. Are we ready to take up this challenge, to become the staff in the hands of the PWD’s?

May the God of the persons with disability – reform God’s creation. Amen

Painting Credits: Blessy Sudarsan, a 4th year Law Student from, Bishop Cotton Women’s Christian Law College, Bangalore.

* This Reflection is to be read in the light of the Disability Advocacy Sunday That was observed on the 26th November 2017. And also the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities that is celebrated on 3rd December, 2017.

http://ncci1914.com/2017/11/02/disability-advocacy-sunday-2017/