2 Feet, 4 Paws & 1 God

For churches that are serious about making the inclusion of disabled people a serious commitment there will definitely be a price to pay, we feel that is only right that we make you aware of it. If we are to be serious about inclusion for disabled people then it would simply be unethical not to seek that inclusion for everyone. It is for this reason we must stand in solidarity with the LGBT community and support them in their struggle for for full inclusion too. As we have said earlier, it is for the LGBT community to work out their theology and the arguments that go with it but the job of any church that claims to be “inclusive” is to make sure that “everyone” regardless of ability, disability, sexuality, race or gender is welcomed and included, there can be no exceptions.

For churches that make the difficult decision to welcome and affirm both disabled and LGBT congregants, there’s a kind of “coming out” process that is no less traumatic for the institution than it is for an individual. The church faces rejection from some of the very people who once called it family; it often finds itself emotionally isolated and financially unsupported; it endures accusations of godlessness and warped theology. It becomes the outcast. And like disabled and LGBT people themselves, sometimes the burden becomes too heavy, and the affirming church cannot survive.

So why then would a church go out on a limb for the disabled and LGBT communities? Sometimes it starts with relationships. Other times it starts with a study and understanding of scripture that is different from traditional views. Sometimes, a church changes simply in response to the soft, subtle tugging of the Spirit. Whatever the impetus, the motivation boils down to a single attribute: a willingness to audaciously love both disabled and LGBT Christians.

We are called to care for “all” with the kind of sacrificial love so many of us claim is the hallmark of the Christian faith. The people who have become our friends over the past three years are literally sacrificing to be with us, bringing us “outcasts” into community at the cost of offending friends and losing relationships they care about.

We are called to be a people that can wrestle with difficult questions and come out stronger. We must not be threatened by a diversity of opinions on issues that are not core to the faith. Even in the midst of disagreement, we know God is big enough to hold us together. It has been a painful but valuable lesson learned. In these communities, the resurrected body of Christ continues its work.

Do we have any input for churches  who are looking at adopting policies that allow room for disabled people who exhibit challenging behaviour or for churches that acknowledge same sex relationships? It’s almost certainly going to be a painful transition. There will likely be hurt feelings, damaged relationships, and financial troubles. The only advice we have is the same advice so often given to young, hurting disabled or LGBT people: It gets better. Not only does it get better, but you come out stronger, with a capacity to love more audaciously than you ever imagined.

We have come to regard the exclusion of anyone as a “sin”. The pain experienced by those made to feel excluded is a pain we should not consciously subject anyone to and is something we believe we will be held accountable for. No matter how fundamental our differences may be with any marginal group, causing them to feel excluded can “never” be the answer. It is through “radical welcome and inclusion” that we discover what draws us together is far stronger and more important than what divides us.

Audacious love knows no boundaries. It is a love that acts before it assesses, that kisses the leper and plucks wheat on the Sabbath for the hungry. Remember that the greatest commandment is not monitoring the rules, nor keeping company with the righteous; the greatest commandment, always and forever, is love, love not just for some but for everyone.