10 tips for seeking to live as a follower of Jesus

Dear friends,

at the moment in our morning congregations we are looking at Luke’s gospel, & Jesus’ determined journey to his death in Jerusalem.  The other week, we looked at chapter 14, where Jesus challenges our normal approach to party organisation with this principle:

He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbours, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid.  But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” (Luke 14:12-14)
It is exactly the principle God operates on – inviting undeserving people like us to his eternal banquet!  In God’s kindness, just after hearing that challenge, I received in the mail some literature about how we receive others with disability.  It gave 10 tips that perhaps you will find helpful in seeking to live as one of Jesus’ followers.

1. Above all, think ability, not disability. Think of the person first, the disability as secondary.
2. Don’t worry about what to call someone. All people with a disability have names.
3. When you speak about disability, remember the 3 P’s – Personal (use ‘people with a disability’ rather than ‘the disabled’); Positive (e.g. ‘has a disability’ rather than ‘afflicted with a disability’); Precise (say ‘wheelchair user’ rather than ‘wheelchair bound’).
4. Offer your hand in greeting as you would anyone else. Be aware that some types of physical disability may limit or prevent a handshake in response.
5. Use your normal tone of voice. Don’t shout. If you can’t be heard, they will let you know.
6. People with a disability are interested in the same topics of conversation as people without a disability.
7. All assistive devices (e.g. a cane) are personal property & shouldn’t be moved/touched unless you are asked to do so.
8. Treat adults as adults, regardless of their disability
9. Always offer your help, & wait for a response.  Don’t just rush in & do what you think would be helpful – it may well not be!
10. Many disabilities are hidden. Never make assumptions, but seek to understand

May these tips help us to love without seeking repayment – just like Jesus does with us!

Have a great week,

Mark Smith