God’s perspective on disability and “downward mobility”: reflections on the Special Olympics

special olympics torch

Special Olympics Torch

For the International Day of Disability—a group of special people are gathering.

 “Everything in me wants to move upward. Downward mobility with Jesus goes radically against my inclinations, against the advice of the world surrounding me, and against the culture of which I am a part. In choosing to become poor with the poor at L’Arche, I still hope to gain praise for that choice. Wherever I turn I am confronted with my deep-seated resistance against following Jesus on his way to the cross.” – Henri Nouwen, in The Road to Daybreak, describing his decision to leave a teaching post at Harvard University to serve the disabled at a L’Arche community.

They challenge our human pride. They cause us to ask: do we really consider others need’s greater than our own?

One of the people groups most unreached by the Gospel, is gathering in Newcastle this week. They are people with an intellectual disability, from 30 countries for the Special Olympics Asia Pacific Games.

2,500 athletes will recite the Special Olympic oath: “let me win, but if I can not win let me be brave in the attempt.” One of them will be my daughter, Hannah.

The oath is a little more modest than the usual Olympic oath. These will be exciting games, with close fought matches but not much sledging. The International Day of People with Disability is on Tuesday December 3, in the middle of the games.

It is a fact that people with a disability make us uncomfortable. I am writing this on a train, and a station assistant has just helped a vision impaired guy into my carriage. He’s just said “thank you” very nicely, but just a bit loudly, and a lot of people have turned around to stare.

Sadly, Christians also often feel uncomfortable around people with a disability. They challenge some of our most cherished churchy culture. It might be the idea that God should heal everyone, or a culture that over-values intellectual attainment (the evangelical version of the prosperity gospel).

More subtly they challenge us with lives, often happy, with a lot less than we think we need.

A couple of weekends ago I felt I had a lot to worry about. Big problems at work, and concerns for my kids.

But I never got around to it. As it turned out that was the weekend I had promised to look after a bunch of special needs guys at a sporting event. Yes, me who has never played a game of sport in my life. (And spent five years at high school evading compulsory sport.) But the little dramas of making sure everyone got fed, got to their games on time, got their stories of triumph and defeat listened to—and then the inevitable emergency of a trip to hospital—took up all my brain space and energy all weekend.

And from God’s point of view the guys’ issues are just as important as mine. I was tested on that. I had to leave my concerns behind and look after theirs. It turned out to be a blessing.

So thanks Rowan, Mark, Matthew, Tim and Tom.

These Special Olympians and their friends who will be at the games are really very special.

They challenge our human pride. They cause us to ask: do we really consider others need’s greater than our own? Do we really love our neighbour as ourselves? Do we really know what it is like to be humble.

These are good questions for the Christian and we should thank God that he has  sent special people to help us face them.

Picture: The Special Olympics torch on the way to Newcastle. It’s a Special Olympics’ tradition for the local Police force to run with athletes in the torch relay. Picture by Special Olympics Australia