Some years ago I was attending a national meeting of people from around Australia who were involved with people with disabilities. At one point, one of the other members stood up and shouted at me, “The trouble with you, Barbara, is that you let your personal values influence your decisions.” It would be a sad day, indeed, if that was not the case.
As I enter this year of 2011, it might be a good thing for me to look at what it is that inspires my visions, informs my dreams and guides my personal values.
The Apostle Paul wrote many years ago that we are all part of the Body of Christ. My dream is that the reality of that becomes more and more evident in our parishes, schools, agencies, organisations and individuals, beginning with me.
In the Body of Christ, everyone has a role to play and everyone has a purpose, even if a hidden one for the time being.
As a Church, if we have an attitude of valuing each person and seeing the worth of each person we will include people automatically.
We would set in place structures and policies that would help make it known that indeed we are the Body of Christ.
I know when my feet swell the rest of my body is entirely sympathetic and does everything it can to relieve the pressure and the pain.
Why can’t we do the same with people?
St Mary of the Cross (Mary MacKillop) said: “Never see a need without doing something about it.” This is as much a challenge today as it ever was.
My problem is that when I focus on myself I don’t even see a need in others and so I can’t even begin to do something about it because I don’t know what the ‘it’ is.
My vision is that the ‘new’ commandment of Jesus will be ever more evident. “Love one another as I have loved you” cannot be left to lie, forgotten, as empty words on a page. Jesus loved me to death. Now it is my turn.
The number of times I’ve had said to me, “get real”, is beyond my counting. Why do I expect that we can stop classifying (labelling) people as “people with disabilities” or “non-disabled?”
Is there such a person?
Why do I believe that it is possible that our parishes can witness the Gospel message and that all people will find in the parish welcome, support and encouragement; that the role of an altar server, for example, is open to people with various capacities?
Youth groups can be welcoming of young people who are “different”; a Proclaimer of the Word can be in a wheelchair, an Extraordinary Eucharistic Minister can be deaf.
If we are indeed the Body of Christ we cannot amputate another part of the Body because we find it difficult to cope with or we haven’t yet learned how to adapt, to be creative, to raise the standard of what can be possible.
That is what’s happening now. It need not be that way.
Why do I believe that every Catholic school can find a place for all Catholic students living in the area?
Why do I believe that modern technology can be used in whatever setting to ensure inclusion, for example, through captioning, audio descriptors, easy English and so on?
Why do I believe that we can all learn to communicate with each other even though this may call for some hard work, commitment and innovation? Why do I believe that we can all change our attitude? Faith lets me see beyond this moment. My reality is more than what I can see, touch or feel. 2011 can be a year for fulfilling God’s promises and achieving His purposes for me, for you, for each and everyone.
Sometimes people will see a need and they tell me about it. When I ask them what they are going to do about it, they respond, “I’m telling you.” If only it were that easy.
My experience is that when God gives me a task to do, even though I might be very hesitant and quaking with fear, the strength to continue is given.
Thank God I do not need to be successful at everything. I only need to be obedient. The judgement of ‘success’ is not in my hands.
If I reflect on all the little bits that people are doing, in parishes, schools, agencies and services of the Archdiocese, we can make a difference together. So I will continue to dream and hold on to my vision for 2011.
May you, too, keep your dreams and visions. Let’s work together and we will hear: “See how these Christians love one another.”