Wonderfully Made by Chris Chan
“Beautifully talented, Loving, magnificent Smart and intelligent, you are Pretty hilarious, cunning, gregarious Caring and generous, you are You are wonderfully made And they may say otherwise but that’s a shame Your light brightens up the day When our world’s filled with darkness, rainclouds, and pain You’re like Picasso’s masterpiece A game winning goal A present that we’ve received When we’re feeling low You tell us to appreciate the small things in life You show by example how to love, laugh, and smile Every smile that you smile brings a smile to my face There’s a warmth I feel inside Every time we embrace And I won’t give up, and I won’t let go And I won’t lose faith in you.”
“Wonderfully Made” is a song I wrote for the
campers at Ramapo for Children, a camp that serves children who are affected by social, emotional, or learning challenges, including children affected by autism spectrum disorder. The song was inspired by Psalm 139:13-14: “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” In general, I think that individuals with disabilities are frequently viewed as inferior or below the norm; at least, this is what I thought before obtaining more exposure to them. As I worked with these children, there were challenging times when they demonstrated aggressive (e.g. biting, pinching, hitting) and self-injurious behaviors. There were also joyous moments when they experienced success like maneuvering through an obstacle course or learning to write a letter. Ultimately, despite the way an individual walks, talks, or thinks, I think it’s important to remember that “God created
mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them” (Genesis 1:27). Because we are all made to reflect God, we are neither superior nor inferior to one another. Everyone, including individuals with disabilities, is on equal terms. There was a moment during camp when a camper told me he felt worthless. He said his family did not accept him for who he was and expressed to me the struggles he experienced in ‘the real world’ because of his disability. He went on to ask me, “Why do I matter?” The question caught me off guard. I stumbled over my words, and then realized how the beauty of songwriting engrains your own lyrics in your head. Then I was able to respond, “You are wonderfully made; the world may say otherwise, but that’s just a shame.” He smiled, and ran off to the next activity. r
Swarthmore Peripateo | 9
