Crippology exploring a wheely woke theology of disability from the margins .
I spend much of my time near the sea shore watching wind and storm , tide and time .
Fishing boats and fishing folk .
I am a priest / artist cripple .
Waiting to be told to leave my nets .
Waiting to have breakfast on the beach with Jesus .
I want to cross the sand .
I long to enter the water .
But wheels don’t like deep sand .
I’m interested that male able bodied church people
have never offered to carry me over the sand .
Carry me to the shore .
Lead me to the waters of baptism .
Each time I’m near a beach with my wife , she goes and gets some sea water
We splash this on each other’s foreheads in the name of the trinity .
From here my journey starts .
A large conference takes place this week , developing a missiology of disability .
It’s hosted by the supposedly able and few with any complex disability combined with theological training will be in attendance.
Christ’s great commission is to go to every people group / every ethnos with the gospel . To baptise people as Christ’s followers and give them dual citizenship of their ethnic identity and Gods eternal kingdom in the now and all eternity.
Disability is not a community it’s an intersectionality between many communities . It becomes a rut and an obsession because of the high price tags on treatment and equipment , access and attitude . I am a priest and artist . I am a person living on a small island in the Thames estuary .
I am spasticus autisticus but much more besides .
In the uk at the moment the identity of our ancestors can lead to the stripping of our citizenship.
How does that apply metaphorically to hereditary disability / acquired disability and a place in gods kingdom .
Even if we receive our daily bread via the Nhs as a fresubin shake our access to God’s kingdom / heaven in the now and in eternity must be equitable .
A missiology of disability must have disabled practitioners at its heart . It must not assume a perceived intellectual or physical difference as being less than and needing ministering to . It may well be more than , informing and need listening too .
Yes practically to arrange equipment / care etc etc at a conference is complex .
But not to receive the wedding invite is worse !
Contact and bookings
18002 (in front of number for NGT/minicom users then 07786 652286 fralexgc@me.com Skype mostgothicpanda ( enable sub titles if needed )I charge for my time on a sliding scale depending on your income and we discuss this when we first meet. This will be from the minimum wage upwards and is based on your hourly income and outgoings. It's up to your honesty and this forms part of the process. I am also able to take payment in kind, help with gardening, dog walking, home repairs, driving, the cooking of dinner in exchange for my time,Blogs