I was really encouraged recently by listening to a Joni & Friends ministry update podcast with Stephanie Hubach, who is a mom of a 30-year old man with Down syndrome. She sums up the theology of disability very well.
Two models of viewing disability
Stephanie Hubach was talking about the difference between how the world looks at disability and how the Bible looks at disability. The world is very confused by disability–some people think it’s a social construct (if we provide enough accommodations disability won’t hold anyone back, so it won’t be a category) and some people think it’s a set of ailments, illnesses, and conditions which we can overcome with medicine and technology–this is called the medical model. Neither of those is totally correct.
The Biblical model of disability
Hubach said, “The biblical view is this whole idea that every one of us experiences degrees of both the blessings of creation in our image-bearing and the brokenness of the fall and every aspect of our personhood. At the foot of the cross the playing field is level.”
I paused the podcast right there. I wanted to call out, “Yes, yes, YES!” I love word pictures and that one is spot on. Our weaknesses are what bring us to the foot of the cross. No one can boast.
Strengths & weaknesses
All of our strengths are gifts from God. “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” (1 Cor. 4:7)
All of our weaknesses are meant to keep us from depending on ourselves and to allow God to work in us. In that super inspiring chapter of 2 Cor. 12, Paul says, “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” (2 Cor 12:7-9)
What a great way to summarize what the Bible teaches: “At the foot of the cross, the playing field is level.”
🤔💭 Tell me what you think.
Have you ever felt at a disadvantage in some way? How do you feel about knowing that the playing field is level at the foot of the cross? How does that change your life?