Introduction:
I was introduced to the
term disability, during my childhood days, as my mother started her career as a
teacher in Arpana.[1] Life since then had a very
naive notion about disability. This soon turned into a cliché. Disability, I
then, assumed to be a charitable approach for social workers and a program for
the church during Christmas and other outreach ministries. This notion seeped
in to settle for a long time since then. As I grew and committed to ministry, I
started to question myself. Is disability just a mode of charity? Does it have
to remain just as a program of church? Or could there be much more than the
church can do in regard to the persons with disabilities (PWD's)? These
questions kept me struggling. Working with IDEA to a major extent helped me in
my quest for answers. Hence, I carry it through this conversation as well.
An ‘abled’ person, I am, in
the stereotypical conditions that the society has constructed around, makes me
less qualified to elucidate a perspective of the ‘disabled’. Therefore basing
my view on the words of Nancy Eiesland, who puts it this way: "disability
is a) a punishment; b) a punishment; c) a test of faith; c) the sins of fathers
(sic) visited upon the children; d) an act of God; or e) all of the above. If
these were the only choices, I would have to agree that religion has no
relevant answers."[2] On the other hand
disability is, in Merriam Webster, defined as "a physical, mental,
cognitive, or developmental condition that impairs, interferes with, or limits
a person's ability to engage in certain tasks or actions or participate in
typical daily activities and interactions."[3] These
are the two contrasting views that come from two different groups of people,
where the former defines disability experientially whereas the latter defines
it with an 'abled' perception of the PWD. Even though both seem equally poised
in rendering meaning about practical living, the experience of the person with a disability cannot be undermined. The world is evolving and is surely not static
in nature. Thus the meaning that is rendered should evolve as well. In a
regular understanding of disability, everyone can be considered as a person
with a disability. But is this the reality? Do we see all as persons with
disability? Surely not; we have claimed a right over being called 'able' and
differentiated ourselves from the persons with disabilities. This is the
reason; disability concerns have been invisible for a long time now.
This is certainly because
of our cultural upbringing. Where the persons with disability are looked at as a
'hindrance', 'curse from God', 'insignificant', 'bad-luck' etc.; this made the
PWD's a vulnerable group often burdened with stigmatization, isolation, abuses
and so on, making them feel their lives are less important from others. The
persons with a disability find themselves part of a small group of people,
mostly, isolated from the rest. Hence the attitude of the society and the
church is this regard needs notice. This group of people is either looked at
as channels of charity or taken for granted, and their existence is made subtly
invisible.
Socially, the persons with
disabilities are confined to charitable organizations, to be taken care. They
are kept away from the so-called ‘abled’ people so that they do not spread
their disability, bad luck, or disease to others. Thus, becoming a program for
civil organizations, corporate companies, and religious institutions to reach
out to the PWD’s, for their missional endeavors in a portrayal of ‘doing’
charity.
The charitable mission,
however, was primarily an outcome of the Christian missionaries who took this
radical step to reach out to the persons with disabilities who were isolated
due to stigmatization. The radical step, in the dues course, continued to stay
for a long time until now, where it has made the persons with disability as
mere objects for programs of the charity. In 2004-2005 it was estimated that more
than 300 million people live in poverty in India and the World Bank report
estimates that people with disabilities make up 20% of the poorest.[4] This alarming number questions the Christian
community[5] with two major questions. How
does society look at persons with disability? How does the Church
respond to the issues of persons with disability? These two pertinent
questions linger in this conversation on disability.
The church has been
charitable towards PWD’s and initiated many homes and hostel to accommodate
PWD’s with health and personal care. But this act of the church has made the
church become even more insensitive towards persons with disabilities. This
insensitivity has become more visible in worship practices and church
services. In being insensitive, the church sends across a harsh message that
the persons with disability are not allowed to worship along with the so-called
'abled' people in the same space.
This insensitivity is
because of the interpretational practice that the church has followed ever
since with regard to persons with disabilities. It is when the church
understands the way in which a PWD would theologize God and interpret the
Scripture, that the church will become more sensitive towards persons with
disabilities, toward becoming more inclusive.
A Disabled God: Through
the eyes of a PWD
While developing her
theology of disability, Nancy Eiesland was waiting for a mighty vision of God,
like that of Elijah at the Seder meal. What she got was much different than
expected. Instead, she …" saw God in a sip-puff wheelchair, that is, the chair
used mostly by quadriplegics enabling them to maneuver by blowing and sucking
on a straw-like device. Not an omnipotent, self-sufficient God, but neither a
pitiable, suffering servant. In this moment, I beheld God as a survivor,
unpitying and forthright. I recognized the incarnate Christ in the image of
those judged ‘not feasible,’ ‘unemployable,’ with ‘questionable quality of
life.’ Here was God for me.”[6]
Eiesland in her
articulation of the disabled God begins with 2 fundamental insights
1. All human beings are
embodied
a. Our embodiment is a
fundamental part of how we relate to our world.
2. Religious symbols point
individuals beyond their ordinary lives. Religious symbols not only prescribe
or reproduce social status, but they also transform it.
a. Symbols establish and
maintain beliefs
b. Symbols legitimate
social and political structures (both oppressive and empowering)
Thus in line with her
understanding, a liberatory theology of disability must incorporate political
action and re-symbolization.
a. Political action
involves “Acting out” and “Holding our bodies together.”
a. Acting out:
Refusing to comply with the acceptable role(s) for people with disabilities (in
both church and public life)
b. Holding (PWD) bodies
together: The work of solidarity with our own bodies, other people with
disabilities, and other marginalized groups (in both church and public life)
B. Re-symbolization entails
the deconstruction of dominant symbolic meanings, reconstitution of those
symbols and making it Liberatory for the marginalized group and unsettling for
the dominant group.
Mission by… with… PWD’s:
Journeying Together
The traditional
understanding of mission is identified by preaching the gospel to the so-called
‘unreached’, ‘unheard’ and ‘heathens’ whereas, mission should start from the
margins by identifying with the PWD’s who are socially, religiously,
economically and politically neglected, excluded and discriminated communities
who are pushed to the margins? The bottom-line of the mission should be seen as prophetical.
Since the gospel of Christ directly confronted the social injustices and
identifies with the socially, religiously, neglected, excluded and
discriminated communities that are pushed to the fringes of society.
Therefore a mission to the
PWD's will never be a solution to the missional issues involved. However, a
mission ‘with’ the PWD's must become a mission ‘by’ the PWD’s to make the world
know their issues and their reflection of God, as a model that would challenge
the existing mission models. For such a time as this, Mission movements should
take a valiant stand to employ both, the ‘Great Commission’ and the ‘Great
Commandment’ in regard to the communities in the society that are in the struggle.
The Christian mission movement in India is called to be Prophetic in its
service and public witness, journeying together in solidarity with those who
are marginalized, the PWD’s in this conversation, and to be fearless in its
stand to overcome the evils that haunt.
Inclusive Ecclesia:
Prophetic Witness to the truth and light
Burton Cooper says "I
propose that we imagine God as disabled. I need to say at once that I am not a
disabled person or the parent of a disabled person or one who works to any
great extent with disabled persons. But I have learned some things from listening
to Christians with disabilities, and I am persuaded that by thinking of God as
disabled—metaphorically, of course—we can deepen our understanding of the
nature of God's creative and redemptive love.[7]
1. Ecclesia should engage
itself in the Liberatory theology of the PWD’s by:
- Acknowledging
that people with disabilities constitute a discriminated minority group.
- Incorporating
people with disabilities at the center of developing theology.
- Challenging
the social institutions and attitudes rather than stigmatizing the
non-conventional bodies of people with disabilities.
- Critically
engaging the fundamental theologies of the Christian tradition in light of
people disabilities, and moving forward to reconstruct these concepts in a
life-giving way.
2. Ecclesia should be
Disable friendly by:
- Developing
a non-judgmental, stigma-free attitude toward PWD
- Reconstructing
the understanding of PWD, GOD, Church, and all aspects of ministries in the
light of the reflection of God through the life and experience of the
PWD’s [8]
- Amending
governing policies incorporating representative of the persons with disability.
- Re-instating
the leadership quality within the persons with disability.
- Encouraging
persons with disability to pursue theological education.
- Making
the church disable friendly in terms of mobility of the persons with
disability.
- Introducing
worship resources in brails and sign interpreters.
“Jesus Christ the disabled
God is not a romanticized notion of ‘over-comer’ God. Instead here is God as
Survivor. Here language fails because the term ‘survivor’ in our society is
contaminated with notions of victimization, radical individualism, and
alienation, as well as with an ethos of virtuous suffering. In
contradistinction to that cultural icon, the image of survivor here evoked is
that of a simple, un-self-pitying, honest body, for whom the limits of power are
palpable, but not tragic. The disabled God embodies the ability to see clearly
the complexity and the ‘mixed blessing’ of life and bodies, without living in
despair. This revelation is of a God for us who celebrates joy and experiences
pain not separately in time or space, but simultaneously [with us].”[9]
The above-mentioned quote
pushed me into discomfort and stirred the urge within me to look at God
differently. The Interfaith Roundtable on ‘disability’ held in Nagpur at the
beginning of August, pierced me through. The statement made by a PWD
delegate “I am crippled, but you have no right to call me so, God made me this
way, therefore, ‘I am’”. As I read through the lives of PWD's the meaning
of disability and their perception about God. It completely shattered my
existing faith drove me to re-construct my faith in their faith expression.
This re-construction of my notions on disability, called me to commit to
espouse 'for' and 'with' persons with disabilities for their rightful space in
Church and in Society. It is in this manner I would partner with the persons
with a disability to engage with the society and the church in a journey towards
an inclusive society and church by bearing prophetic witness to the truth and
the light not only in India but beyond.
[1] A school for the mentally and
physically challenged in Bangalore (CSI-KCD)
[2] Nancy Eiesland, “Encountering the
Disabled God,” PMLA, 120/2 (March, 2005), 584-586. Published by: Modern
Language Association, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25486188
[3] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disability
[4] Elwan A. Poverty and Disability:
a Survey of the Literature, Social Protection Unit, Human Development Network.
1999.
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/DISABILITY/Resources/280658-1172608138489/PovertyDisabElwan.pdf
[5] I say “Christian community”
because Christianity has been a pioneer in charitable endeavors which the
society had noticed and borrowed. In this regard too, Christianity is expected
to lead the way to mainstream disability concerns.
[6] Nancy L. Eiesland, The
Disabled God: Toward a Liberatory Theology of Disability,
(Michigan: Abingdon Press, 1994), 89.
[7] Burton Cooper, “Disabled
God,” Theology Today, 49/2, (July 1, 1992)173-182.
[8] Anshi Zachariah, “Churches’
Response to Disability: Is the Church Adequately Addressing the Issue?” Sprouts
of Disability Theology, edited by Christopher Rajkumar, (Nagpur: NCCI, 2012),
99.
[9] Nancy L. Eiesland, The
Disabled God: Toward a Liberatory Theology of Disability, 102-103
No comments:
Post a Comment