I live in tension with many aspects of theology, but perhaps none more than prayer and healing. There is something in me that clings to health and will take advantage of every mechanism to obtain it. I have learned to temper this, to make reasonable decisions and not reach for just anything that promises health or cure–sometimes supposed cures cause damage and erode other aspects of health along the way, and it is important to understand what I am doing to my body. At the same time, I must not neglect my body and then expect God to bless what I myself do not take responsibility for…
The real tention comes in what I do with my uncured body. DO I treat it as something God can use? Do I glorify Him with it even though it is in a less healthy state than I (or the community at large) am comfortable with, even when it is inconvenient? Or do I insist that God make me acceptable to me (or someone else) before I glorify Him? That is a prayer that He will never honor, though the anguished confession that I am crushed by lack of acceptance is very much something He can work with.
I said to my mom yesterday that this is an amazing time for me to live in. I am witnessing truly remarkable change in the field of technology–medical and otherwise. I have been blessed with opportunity to be on the cutting edge of new medical research several times in my life, and the outcome has been extremely positive in light of my circumstances. At the same time, I do not believe that science will cure all blindness in the next century; and I believe that as a society we must reach a point of valuing people regardless of imperfection, of treating cure as a blessing and not a requirement for being considered worthy of employment, etc. We now have technology which allows people who are blind to access the same computer applications as their sighted counterparts. With a bit of design guidance to ensure that applications and sites work with screen readers, there is no reason why a blind person should be prohibited from doing any job involving the PC or Mac. It is our responsibility as a society to make this happen, to keep from committing social wounds. Then people can pursue cure as a matter of self-care rather than because they are imprisoned by societal exclusion and feelings of inferiority. Besides being a mattter of moral compass, letting go of so much emotional baggage makes a tremendous difference in successful recovery.
- Learning From My Younger Self - February 10, 2024
- more reflections on ITD - June 30, 2023
- On travel while at ITD: reflections after day 1 - June 27, 2023
- ITD day 1 - June 27, 2023
- ITD day 1 - June 27, 2023
- Job Descriptions, Inclusivity, and Equity for People with Disabilities - October 15, 2022
- Traveling without a Guide Dog: Experience with Cane and Walker - October 14, 2022
- Disability and Church, Intersection - June 11, 2022
- Review: When Chronic Pain and Illness Take Everything Away - June 11, 2022
- Grammar and Style Resources for Writers - June 9, 2022
