I read the essay by Dr. Fettke. I also had a chance to meet his son, Phillip, on the field trip. One of the major things I found interesting about this essay was when he talked about people of the church not thinking people with disabilities made in God’s image. That is something I have never heard, nor thought before. I have heard about some people thinking that people with mental disabilities were demon possessed. This is something I have never believed though. So, I found it really interesting that apparently so many people think that humans with mental or physical disabilities were not created in God’s image. I wonder how people can think that though. The Bible says that man was created in His image, does it not? It doesn’t specify that only “certain” people were made in His image. I find that to be very frustrating.
How much more so would someone with a relative close to them with a mental handicap, feel? Or better yet, how does that person with the mental handicap feel? Even though life seems so unfair sometimes, God has to have a purpose for it all, right? Or is that just my naiveté speaking?
One line that stuck out to me was this:
“Hauerwas notes that “helping” the handicapped can actually expose our own weakness, by which he means “our own sense of helplessness and loneliness.”
What I took this to mean was that sometimes when we reach out to the handicapped or try to help them, we feel vulnerable and our own “problems” come to the surface. Maybe that is why many people shy away from things like this? I feel that whenever I am around people with mental handicaps or such, I feel loneliness. But it’s not loneliness for me. Instead, it is more of the loneliness that I expect them to be feeling. And in return I have a desire to fill that void they are experiencing in their lives.
When people think of imago dei I think they associate it with perfection. If they thought about that a little more they would realize that we aren't perfect either. We all have our problems and our own "disabilities". In the mentally handicapped, theirs are just more obvious than ours. It frustrates me, too, that people would think that those with disabilities aren't created in imago dei.
ReplyDeleteVictoria, you made several good points. I, too, have never heard anyone say they didn't think that special needs people were made in the image of God, either.
ReplyDeleteKristen, your point about perfection is so true.
I like the quote that you used. Thinking back to experiences I've had with the mentaly handicap I can see truth in this
ReplyDeletethat's really cool to admit, Katelyn. But I think you're right. It really does expose some serious stuff about us.
ReplyDeleteYou pointed out several good questions. Your last sentence reminded me of a lady I met at AFI. She said she was always lonely and didn't feel like waking up. I felt so bad for her and tried to bring encouragement to her the whole time we were there.
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