Pastor's Corner-Invisible Disabilities: From a Pastor's Perspective

Paul Hathcoat

The world around us can be superficial and complicated. It can be isolating and confusing. In our culture today, confusion of truth has become a negatively-impacting staple to our collective mind and in effect, our actions. The church itself is not free from these struggles. Let us look for just a moment at how God’s truth is presented in the Bible and then how the Church can and should look at an invisible disability.

Mark 9:14-29 NIV: A Boy Possessed 14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. 16 “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked. 17 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.” 19 “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” 20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” 23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” 25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. 28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 29 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.[a”

The son in this scripture passage is most likely living with epilepsy. At the time this was written, this was surely a mystery to the people around him. Jesus labels the cause himself as an “impure spirit.” In the evolution of human understanding, I think we have mixed together the unclean, disabilities, and evil, which has created stigmas for those who are affected. We must take care in avoiding these thoughts in our churches today if we are to make progress within the disability community.

I worry that if anyone is unclear on the causes or roots of invisible disabilities, we may fail to give persons with such conditions the care they need. Have you experienced this first or secondhand? Have the effects of a traumatic brain injury, mental illness, chronic pain, ADHD, learning disabilities, or behavioral disabilities stained your experience in the world or in the church? I would guess many of you would say ‘yes’. Those who do not have anything visible to which to relate the unique behaviors and demeanor often become avoidant or even afraid. Did Jesus do this? Of course not. Jesus, walking in spiritual confidence, with a heart to love EVERYONE around Him, saw past the hindrance and loved the person. The church and its people would do well to follow suit.

This scripture demonstrates to us a father who is frantic to find help for his son. Did the people blame the father for his son’s condition? Was the father made to feel guilty and ashamed about his son’s ailment? Was the father marginalized, because he, with his son, was a social outcast? Did the people around them go about their day-to-day lives, ignoring the elephant in the room? Did their fear ever turn to resentment and exclusion? Were father and son forced into homelessness, like many of those who live with mental illness? Did the father ever receive an offer of respite in taking care of his son? These are the questions and topics that healthy churches with proactive disability and special needs ministries take on.

I hope this short example elicits a real response from all of you. I hope that we view invisible disabilities as real, and worthy of support and response. I pray that our churches and communities out there turn from awkward ignorance of those living with invisible disabilities around us to being intentionally engaging and inclusive, focused on supporting and resourcing those who need it. I continue to remind us all that without inviting our neighbors with disabilities to the table, then God’s family and church will never be complete. God Bless!

* Inspired in part by a speech given by Linda Larson at the Calvin Theological Seminary.