Going beyond accessible to acceptance

“God does not need my body to be ‘standard’ to use it. God needs my heart to be open, and often, it is through the vulnerability of my disability that I am most open to the Divine.”
Amy Kenny — ‘My Body is not a Prayer Request’

Amy Kenny’s book My Body is not a Prayer Request is a non-fiction work that blends personal memoir, theological critique and a call to action. Kenny, a disabled scholar and advocate, addresses the systemic ableism present within Christian communities and proposes a shift toward a more inclusive, “disability-conscious” faith.

Long story short, this book is a call for churches to go from just being “accessible” to all people, to making everyone feel like the belong. We can pat ourselves on the back when we put a new wheelchair ramp in, but are we going beyond that to be warm and welcoming for all, not just the chosen few. Are we putting in a ramp because we were told we needed to, or is it because we want people that need to use it to be with us?

One thing that Kenny brings up in her book is how often people will approach her in her wheelchair and will say to her “I will pray for you to be healed.” Her perspective is that she doesn’t need to be healed. Her body is perfect just the way it is. Just because her body is different than others, it doesn’t mean that it is inferior. It’s not a mistake from God.

It’s not a punishment for the sins of her or her parents. What a powerful reminder that we are all beloved children of God, no matter what we bring to the Kingdom.

This perspective isn’t just about the things we can see. The neuro diversity of the people of the world is extremely complex. Mentally we all handle things differently. We all process things differently. And that’s OK. Some people are great in social gatherings and speaking in front of people. I am one of those people. I’m an extravert. Put me in a room of 200 random people, and I’ll find some common ground to converse with people about.

That’s a place I feel like I shine. It’s part of the reason why I write this column every other week. If I have something to say, I’m going to say it. It’s up to you if you want to listen. (FYI, I really hope that you do listen even if you don’t agree!)

With that being said, I know that there are a fair number of people that would see the situation I just described and would rather be any other place in the world. Social situations may not be their strength.

That’s not where you are comfortable, and that’s great that you see that! You’re still are a minister of God. You show people the good news of the Gospel in other ways.

God has just as much love for you as anyone else on this planet, past or present. If people around you don’t see that, don’t understand that, or don’t think that’s correct; it’s a them problem, not a you problem. Keep shining the way you shine, even if the only place you feel like you really shine is your small group of trusted people.

Here’s the Reader’s Digest version: You are you. You are beautiful. You’re all a little weird and I am too!

If you don’t feel like you need healing, there’s a good chance you don’t need healing. Don’t let others tell you that you are a project to work on, your opinion of yourself is “woke,” or that you just need some good prayers headed your way to help you straighten up.

Be proud of how you are, because God is. And we all need to remember to treat people with the same amount of grace that we expect to get from God.