S1-Day 5: God in Dirty Places: Discerning God in and with 'Disability'

If you can celebrate the disability of God, why not mine? 

The discussions on “Disability” are wide in range in the realm of theological fraternity. However, the perspectives on disability continue to evolve and emerge from the experiences of the people. People with disabilities or People who are otherwise abled, often seen with a stigma in/by the society. In this context, Church is also not an exception, that often remain insensitive and unfriendly to the people with disabilities. Nancy Eiesland categorically suggests this reality of Church as “for many people with disabilities, the church has been a ‘city on a hill’-physically inaccessible and socially inhospitable -”. This calls us for a radical discernment to see the realities around us and renew our perspectives on disability. I feel, to enrich the perspectives on disabilities, we need to move from the physical comfort-ability to the zone of distortion and discomfort. This in fact demands our radical commitment to shed lights on the distorted image and characteristics of God and to see not only the power of God, but also the weaknesses of God. Yes! No more as a God of disability but ‘a disabled God’. I guess, for most of us, this would be a disturbing image to comprehend and visualize our God talk. Yet, this can bring wide range of perspectives to read the scriptures from the light of people with disabilities. 

God with disability was not seen different in Greek mythology. The ancient Greek god of fire and metallurgy, Hephaistos, was a kind and lovable God, who was the son of Zeus, the king of Gods. However, Hephaistos, according to the myths, was physically ‘ugly and lame’. Beyond his deformity he was seen as brilliant among the Olympian gods. This myth pushes us forward to see and celebrate people with their so called ‘ugliness, weaknesses and disabilities’. God in Dirty Places helps us to re-imagine the presence and omniscience of God. Our existing ideologies and theologies often become disabled because of our prejudice, hostility and uncritical suspicion towards people with disabilities. Even our traditions, practices and liturgies in the church also exclude and discriminate people with disabilities. Most of our church buildings are also not so friendly to these people and thus, the Church becomes systematically ‘unwelcoming’. This systematic stigmatization does confine people with disabilities to reach the sacred places and the ordained ministry in the church also needs a physical fitness. I feel, if at all the Church has to think about a priesthood with disabilities it must also affirm the God with disability. 

The Levitical codes in the Hebrew Bible, strongly communicates the message that physical disability is a distortion of the divine image and an inherent desecration of all things holy. It is the uncritical reading of the scriptures that makes us narrow and confines us within the boundaries. Often Church also upholds these biased views and forgets to celebrate the impotence and differences. Nancy Eiesland, in her book, The Disabled God: Toward a Liberatory Theology of Disability challenges our existing perspectives and enables us to see the disabled God, the one we encounter in our eucharistic experience. Eiesland contends that “in the Eucharist, Christians encounter the disabled God and may participate in new imaginations of wholeness and new embodiments of justice”. Therefore, the cross and Christ manifest the symbol of God’s disability and the broken body of Christ becomes the source where people are united and strengthened. 

It is vivid that the sacramental unity of the Church itself a celebration of the broken body of Christ, in other words, it is a celebration of the disability of God. To make this perspective meaningful, our hermeneutics must involve the experiences of the people with disabilities. Our God talk must be centered not only on the omnipotence and ability but also in the disability of God. Theologies advocating for accessibility and hospitality must move beyond to listen and incorporate the stories, voices and experiences emerge from the so called ‘deformities’ of the people. Thus, the ecclesial experience of the faith communities shall become the embodied manifestations of not just perfections but imperfections too. 

Prayer: 

God of love, we thank you for giving us the discernment to understand and celebrate life with its fullness through everything and everyone. Give us the courage and ability to witness you and your presence in the dirty places. Help us to celebrate your deformities and disabilities and make us more sensitive to the people with disabilities. May our theologies and praxis shall become emancipatory in nature to celebrate life in this world. We ask these in the name of the one, who is vulnerable, broken and disabled yet powerful, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. 

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Author: J. Andrews Christopher 

About the Author: Andrews belongs to the CSI Thoothukudi – Nazareth Diocese. He earned Bachelor of Divinity from The United Theological College, Bangalore in 2015. At present pursuing M. Th in the Department of Biblical Studies (Old Testament) from Gurukul Lutheran Theological College & Research Institute, Chennai.