For he himself is our peace,
who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier,
the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh
the law with its commandments and regulations.
Ephesians 2:14-15 (NIV)
One of the barriers disabled individuals often face is inclusion; whether in school, at work, or in public, individuals with special needs frequently end up on the fringes because they don’t act or speak like their peers.
While our culture has vastly improved mobility issues for physically handicapped individuals, there still exists a certain lack of inclusion when it comes to individuals with intellectual disabilities. This tends to be more prominent in schools where many children haven’t been taught about acceptance and inclusion. We’ve all heard the stories of kids sitting alone in the cafeteria, or the child who plays by himself on the playground while his classmates engage in a game of basketball or dodgeball. Although our country preaches acceptance and inclusion, disabilities are just one facet of society’s sluggish progress toward breaking down inclusion barriers.
Jesus came to tear down walls. He talked to a Samaritan woman, offered grace to a woman caught in adultery, called a tax collector to become His disciple, healed a Roman officer’s servant, and welcomed little children. Jew or gentile, man or woman, black or white, young or old, He loves us all. After all, we’re all in the same boat; sinners in need of a Savior.
Barriers – gone. Walls – destroyed. This is God’s marvelous gift of grace.
Thought: “Frontline love. It is our one hope for breaking down barriers and for restoring the sense of community, of caring for one another, that our decadent, impersonalized culture has sucked out of us.” – Charles Colson
For further reading:
- John 10:16
- Romans 10:12
- 1 Timothy 2:4
- Matthew 28:19
Excerpt from my devotional, A Year in God’s Classroom