Series: Celebrating Diversity: Encountering God in Disability
February 25, 2024 | Rev. Brooke Heerwald Steiner
Henri Nouwen, a famous Catholic priest, spent the final years of his life teaching and ministering to the disabled in a community setting in Toronto. He coined the phrase, “wounded healer” as a theological perspective to bring us hope. None of us can escape suffering, and yet our wounds have the power to bring about healing for us and others. In Isaiah 53, we encounter a servant who has suffered greatly for the lives of others—taken on others burdens. In short, this person’s wounds have been a healing balm in the world. It’s not an easy concept, but one we will wrestle with together. If we cannot avoid suffering, how can we then use our wounds to heal the world around us?
Series Information
Disabled people are full members of the body of Christ. Unfortunately, this is not always the reality experienced in churches. Ableism, discrimination that favors able-bodied people, has taught us to view disability as brokenness instead of sacredness. Throughout Lent, we’ll be examining disability through a different lens: one that celebrates disability and values the gifts it brings to our faith community.
