Faith Sharing Fridays October 23, 2015

Gospel for Sunday, October 25th, 2015

My sister Katie had the privilege of being asked to represent the United States at the Special Olympics World Games in LA this past summer. My heart burst with emotion listening to her interviews on local news outlets as she prepared to depart, watching her high five athletes from all over the world during the opening ceremonies and singing along with a stadium full of athletes and their loved ones the Game’s’ theme song, Reach Up LA.

Katie and folks with intellectual disabilities are often silenced in our society. Family members can be met with a patronizing pity.

“I didn’t know your sister had special needs. I’m so sorry.”
“Your sister doesn’t look retarded?”
“Wow, that must be so hard for your family.”

Thankfully, as was made abundantly clear this summer, there is no silencing these athletes, and there is much they have to teach the world about courage, unity, persistence and loving each person as they are.

Sunday’s gospel points to the crowd’s attempt to silence the blind beggar, the one banished to the edges of society. Refusing to allow the privileged to snuff out his voice, he ignores them and cries out the louder. There are relationships, past hurts and choices that cry out from the edges of my own life and demand to be paid attention to; however, I attempt to deaden the places where vulnerability is greatest. Too often I allow achievement, pride, ambition and busyness to dictate the pace and purpose of my day. Quieter evenings can be spent stifling the voice within with mind-numbing TV or scrolling through Facebook.

As he did for Bartimaeus, Jesus cuts through all the noise and hears our individual call for healing and wholeness.

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What is the part of me on the edge of the road demanding to be paid attention to?
How am I or have I been part of the crowd silencing or ignoring the cries of another?

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A Woman Campus Minister