This is the first installment of our Disability in Missions series.

Several years ago, I returned to the United States from Nepal due to the untimely death of my mother. I was processing much in those days. I had progressively lost my eyesight leading to blindness and my missionary service in Nepal was being overshadowed by the broader society’s perception of what the blind should or should not do. It was commonplace for people to attempt to carry me as I walked down the road, to question me about whether God cursed me in a former life or if I had bad karma, or to advise me on medical treatment. When I received the call that my mom had died of a sudden heart attack, the weight felt insurmountable. 

A few weeks after the funeral, I entered the parking lot of our family’s church with a white cane. A zealous man and his wife (who I later learned were first time visitors) called out to me from about fifteen feet away, “Sir excuse me, can I pray for you?” Of course, if you were me, you would know that this is a common occurrence. The cane is not just a symbol of blindness or independence, but for many Christians it is a symbol that my body is not fully abled and that Satan has robbed me of the full life God intended. This was almost stated verbatim by the man in the parking lot when he prayed for me despite my reluctance to engage.

I looked at him after he finished and said, “I need to say something, and I hope it helps you in the future. I love Jesus. He made me how he wanted to make me, and I love who I am. I am a blind missionary from South Asia who has a robust theology of disability. God’s power is made perfect in weakness . We live in a broken world. And I am weary; many people are weary of Christians feeling a deep need for our healing because we carry a white cane representing our disability. You need to be careful, my friend, and understand that this is the life we lead.” 

He responded by quoting John 10:10 that the thief has come to steal, kill, and destroy but God has come to bring life. His entire frame of reference for persons with disabilities (or PWDs) equated disability with Satanic bondage.

The man in the parking lot is not representative of all Christ follower’s perceptions on disability, but his sentiments do represent a lens that many have in understanding the issue. To be fair, much progress has been made by the broader society concerning disability, inclusion, and accessibility. We are much farther along than we once were, but to what degree has society’s frame of reference on disability shaped the Church, ministries, and PWDs themselves? Theologian Dr. Amos Yong has argued that it is in fact not disability itself that proposes the largest barrier for PWDs but the social repercussions that occur from ablest and normalization bias.* The Church would like to think that they have made a marked imprint on society but perhaps the reverse is truer.

Heal the blind. Cure the sick. Watch the immobile take up their mats and walk. Such stories fill the pages of the Gospels and such narratives have become foundational to our Christian faith. In missions, PWDs typically are put in two categories. Category 1: people that need healing. Category 2: people with whom we need to walk in their suffering. At best those with disabilities have been viewed as recipients of mission, not participants. At worst, those with disabilities can be made out to believe they need to be fixed before they can be accepted by society or other believers.

What if there was a different story? What if there was a new frame of reference? No doubt that first century Palestine had insurmountable barriers that could not be overcome unless the supernatural power of God was displayed. And no doubt that in Jesus transformation occurred.

In upcoming blogs, we will address:

Follow this blog series to learn how you, your team, or missions agency can engage with this relatively new area of missions.

Written by: John Trotter

* Yong, Amos. The Bible, Disability, and the Church: A New Vision of the People of God. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Press, 2011.