The last few months, weeks, days have been brutal.
The news cycles, our social media, the free newspapers I use to package parcels and fill time on the tube have been populated with stories of murder.
Explosions in Germany.
A Gay Club in Florida shot to pieces, with 49 dead.
Policemen killing black people, and people killing policemen.
Suicidal shootings and shootings at 'sex parties' in the UK.
But one of these mass murders has stuck out to me.
The killing of 19 people with mental disabilities at a care centre in the Japanese city of Sagamihara is one of the most shocking things I've read in the past few weeks. This isn't to downplay the reality and brutality of the events which have dominated the news, on traditional and social media, but it does serve to emphasise the harsh reality of disability in our ableist, divided, elitist world.
Why haven't more people seen this attack?
Why aren't churches praying for the victims, perpetrator, and their families?
Why do we focus on Guns (which, I think, have no place in private ownership in a civilised society), when the issue is ultimately human nature?
It says something terrifying yet sobering that this - the murder of 19 people made in the Image of God, by another person made in the Image of God, in a country that has been devastated by nuclear fire in the past - is not newsworthy. At the time of writing, this is where it seems to appear in the BBC's most read stories:
It doesn't. Star Wars, cheap rice, Strictly Come Dancing and something about Jeremy Corbyn are all more important to most people than the mass, violent murder of people with mental disabilities.
I'm speaking at a conference in Belgium later this year about what it means to be truly inclusive. That to understand true inclusion we must first understand what it means to be truly human. I believe we can't do this apart from Jesus. We cannot understand what it means to be human, to include and to welcome, apart from beginning to understand the person and work of Jesus.
It is easy to bemoan the loss and death of people that the world celebrates, whose contribution we value, and who are culturally like us.
The Gospel challenges us to consider the value of all.
Jesus died for the people we consider 'less'.
The BBC's website readers didn't see this story. They didn't deem it that important. My guess is that that is the reality for many people with disabilities of all kinds. My friend Haydon wrote powerfully on this:
Amen.
Did you read that story about the 19 victims of a knife attack in Japan? Did you pray for their family, the staff, that country?
In Christ, the human is redeemed, made perfect, glorified. In Christ, everyone can be included, because God can and is transforming everything.
Don't forget Japan.
Don't ignore other human beings, no matter how you might perceive them.
That is how I'll end this post. It isn't perfect. But I hope it says what I want it to say.
If, like many, you haven't thought about disability much, I'd love to encourage you to start. I've recommended some books, including a brilliant introductory textbook. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you might remember my experience of a powerful conference on Disability in Norway, where I spoke on stigma and the reality of living in a disabling world that scars us. If, however, that doesn't appeal, then please do listen to Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who strikes a superb note on Disability and Human Dignity.
The news cycles, our social media, the free newspapers I use to package parcels and fill time on the tube have been populated with stories of murder.
Explosions in Germany.
A Gay Club in Florida shot to pieces, with 49 dead.
Policemen killing black people, and people killing policemen.
Suicidal shootings and shootings at 'sex parties' in the UK.
But one of these mass murders has stuck out to me.
Why haven't more people seen this attack?
Why aren't churches praying for the victims, perpetrator, and their families?
Why do we focus on Guns (which, I think, have no place in private ownership in a civilised society), when the issue is ultimately human nature?
It says something terrifying yet sobering that this - the murder of 19 people made in the Image of God, by another person made in the Image of God, in a country that has been devastated by nuclear fire in the past - is not newsworthy. At the time of writing, this is where it seems to appear in the BBC's most read stories:
It doesn't. Star Wars, cheap rice, Strictly Come Dancing and something about Jeremy Corbyn are all more important to most people than the mass, violent murder of people with mental disabilities.
I'm speaking at a conference in Belgium later this year about what it means to be truly inclusive. That to understand true inclusion we must first understand what it means to be truly human. I believe we can't do this apart from Jesus. We cannot understand what it means to be human, to include and to welcome, apart from beginning to understand the person and work of Jesus.
It is easy to bemoan the loss and death of people that the world celebrates, whose contribution we value, and who are culturally like us.
The Gospel challenges us to consider the value of all.
Jesus died for the people we consider 'less'.
The BBC's website readers didn't see this story. They didn't deem it that important. My guess is that that is the reality for many people with disabilities of all kinds. My friend Haydon wrote powerfully on this:
To be human is an enormous, wonderful privilege and blessing, as well as a responsibility. It is to identify with God. God loved humans so much, He became one and came and lived among us, just so we could have a common experience and share in the wonder of it together. The fact that I am alive and breathing today is fantastic in itself. Jesus breathed in the same way that you and I do. He struggled in the same way that you and I do. He felt pain,loss, joy, elation, sorrow, excitement, the whole nine yards. He was also probably quite short, and not much to look at (check the gospels) and virtually everyone he ever spoke to misunderstood what he was doing, what he was about,and what the outcome of it all would be. He could have done anything he wanted to, but he loved humans so much, he let them make mistake after mistake after mistake in how they dealt with him, just so that they, and we, might have our own opportunity to see him as he really is, and respond to him.
I don't need to walk to be human. You don't need to be a brain box, or musical, or have people validate you by buying your CD, your book or anything else. We could all do with understanding the stupendous blessing and opportunity we have and pray that the whole world, not just those that look "broken" or"sick" might be healed, so that we can all enjoy it together.
Amen.
Did you read that story about the 19 victims of a knife attack in Japan? Did you pray for their family, the staff, that country?
In Christ, the human is redeemed, made perfect, glorified. In Christ, everyone can be included, because God can and is transforming everything.
Don't forget Japan.
Don't ignore other human beings, no matter how you might perceive them.
That is how I'll end this post. It isn't perfect. But I hope it says what I want it to say.
__________________________________________
If, like many, you haven't thought about disability much, I'd love to encourage you to start. I've recommended some books, including a brilliant introductory textbook. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you might remember my experience of a powerful conference on Disability in Norway, where I spoke on stigma and the reality of living in a disabling world that scars us. If, however, that doesn't appeal, then please do listen to Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who strikes a superb note on Disability and Human Dignity.
I agree with everything you have said here. However, we live in a country which murders around 510 innocent unborn human babies EVERY SINGLE DAY through pr0-choice abortion. If our society isn't in the least bit concerned about the murder of 510 innocent humans every day right among us, then why oh why do we imagine it is going to be in the slightest bit interested in the murder of 19 disabled people on the other side of the planet? We don't care because..... we don't care. Its really as simple as that.
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