Joey Deacon was a young man with cerebral palsy in the 1920’s. The following quotes are from the Journal of Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, October 1982, and my book, Living Fulfilled Lives: Empowering People with Learning Disabilities.
“Joey was committed to institutional care in 1928, certified, in the language of the day, as ‘a chronic and harmless lunatic, idiot or imbecile such as might lawfully be detained in an institution’. The certification documents mention his inability to speak or feed himself and his lack of control over his movements.”
“Joey Deacon had cerebral palsy and was not an imbecile, a medical term used in those days to describe someone with moderate to severe learning disability. It was only when a friend of Joey’s who lived in the same institution was able to interpret what Joey was saying that it was discovered that Joey had the mental capacity to write his autobiography.”
Joey’s intellect was dismissed because his speech was not understood. Since then, we have realized that communication does not necessarily involve speech. We now recognize that there are alternative, nonverbal ways in which we can communicate. Many of us in churches, however, still rely heavily on the traditional sermon to convey God’s message. This can isolate and exclude many people, including those with various disabilities.
In my book, I explored some of the different ways we can enable communication with people with disabilities. These include:
• Intensive interaction in which we join in the activities of the person who tends to be isolated and uncommunicative. Instead of trying to coax them into our world, we join them in their world thus making a connection
• Objects of reference, involving touching or looking at an object, as a way of expressing needs and wishes. For example, holding up a cup is a way of asking for a drink
• Leading by the hand
• Pictures and photos, especially of familiar objects. For example, a photograph of their own bed could indicate a wish to go to sleep
• Symbols
• Signs
• Sign language
• Technology adapted for the individual
• Simplified clear speech
• Simplified and clear text
As I contemplated how these could be integrated into churches, I was struck by how Jesus communicated with people. He used a variety of different approaches to express the Father’s message.
Jesus met people where they were. He joined in their world. The woman at the well in John 4 is a prime example. She was isolated from her community and from God, but Jesus entered her world and asked for a drink of water, something very familiar.
Jesus used actions to demonstrate God’s love. He healed, turned water into wine, fed the multitudes, stilled the storm, raised the dead. Each of these not only demonstrated His love and power, but also represented a truth.
Jesus often used touch to convey His love and power when bringing healing. And He even used objects of reference.
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me (Matthew 18:1-5 NIV).
Jesus didn’t need to explain what a child was to His disciples, but He chose to use a real example of a child to emphasize His message. Even those without a disability can benefit from using real objects to enhance their understanding.
Jesus often referred to nature and everyday life situations. He saw a farmer sowing seed and talked about the Kingdom of God, (Luke 8). He saw a widow putting money into the collection box and talked about true giving (Luke 21). At the last supper, He took the bread and broke it, saying this is my body broken for you (Luke 22). These are all signs and symbols which represent a truth in a way we can understand.
Jesus told stories. We remember the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10) and it impacts us more than just being told to love our neighbor. It makes more sense to us.
Jesus showed us how much He loved us by dying for us. For many of us, the cross has become a symbol of His death, His forgiveness and His promise of eternal life.
These are a few ways Jesus interacted with the people around Him. I encourage you to read through the gospels and discover the different ways He interacted and communicated with people. Sometimes it was with individuals, sometimes in groups or in crowds, but always He sought to communicate in ways that were appropriate for His audience.
Our God is a creative God. We too need to be creative in how we express His love in ways that can be understood by all. We need to learn from Jesus’ example. The message has to be meaningful and relevant to the people we interact with, always, and that includes those with a disability. We need to start where they are, and then communicate in a way that is meaningful to them.
Sue Sutton has nearly 50 years of experience working with people with learning disabilities. She has developed training programs for people working with a variety of learning disabilities and mental health issues. Sue is the author of “Living Fulfilled Lives: Empowering People With Learning Disabilities.” Connect with her on Facebook.
