Theology

"The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them." - Acts 21:26

Different names for Christ are abundant in scripture. “Christ” comes from the Greek and “Messiah” comes from the Hebrew, and both mean “the Anointed One.” Jesus is called the Bread of Life (1 John 2:1), the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14), the Word of God (Revelations 19:13).

This year, as we meditate on the hope, love, joy, and peace of the Advent season, we also want to take time to meditate on how Scripture names Jesus and the implications those names have for our Christian witness in the world. In Matthew 1:21-23, the apostle writes:

When did I know I was a die-hard Chicago Cubs fans? My father, John Smith, worked in the steel mill measuring and making the rings for sinks as a master welder. I saw him leaving for work around 6 am and returned around 3:30 pm or 4 pm depending on traffic. His way of relaxing was a six pack of Schlitz beer, puffing a Salem cigarette and watching a team that hadn’t been to the World Series since 1945 and hadn’t won a championship since 1908. Yet, my father watched them despite his heart being broken over and over again.

The story is told of a jungle law that survival is for the fittest. Recently while driving through Queen Elizabeth National Park enroute to the West Nile region in Northern Uganda, I watched how the antelopes and other smaller animals kept their distance away from the thickets, with ears and eyes open all through. If a lion was sensed within its vicinity, they would run for their lives. Unfortunately, the animals who were vulnerable due to sickness, hunger and disability and couldn’t outrun the Lion succumbed to be food for the mighty king of the jungle.

Blessed are you* who hunger and thirst for justice

*You who weep at the tears that flood the nightly newscast

you whose tears prompt you to action

You who are willing to practice joy in the fierce furnaces of this world 

you whose joy cultivates the courage 

I saw Religious Broadcasters Association’ spokesperson Daniel Darling was fired for his support for vaccinations on a cable news channel. After Darling wrote in USA Today, “we are experiencing a deficit of trust in our institutions.

Standing among the other dancers in the studio, I aligned my body in first position (heels together and toes pointed out.) Sternums lifted, lengthening through the back of our knees, we  spoke together: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” And then stretching one pointed toe to the right, lowering the heel, recentering weight between each foot, heels now shoulder-width apart in the second position of ballet, we continued: “and the second is like it.

Disability is a theological topic, because people of every kind of ability are created in God’s Image; moreover, through both our limitations and our gifts, people with disabilities indicate the uniqueness and breadth of God’s Image. Disability is a political issue too, because people with disabilities long for equity—freedom and human flourishing—for people of all body types. In this short post, I’m going to do two things. First, I’m going to briefly define disability, ableism, accessibility, and justice.