Throughout my pastoral ministry, my life has been enriched by many people who live with physical, intellectual or psychiatric conditions. I’ve done my best to treat each one in ways that help them find their way as part of the family of God; sometimes opening opportunities for them that we discovered together.
There is always something new to learn and to unlearn. I’ve found several in our feature Addressing ableism. The feature also helped me to think about how ableism has affected me.
If we are having a telephone conversation where you are providing me with the telephone number of someone whom I need to speak with, you’ll find me saying, “I need to check carefully with you to make sure I have written it down correctly because I have dyslexia.” Sometimes it takes me several tries to get it right.
I was in my late 40s when I first learned that I had what my new optometrist described as a mild form of dyslexia. He identified it because he had the same condition. He explained that people with our condition seldom were able to become the professionals we were because most are unable to find ways to navigate the challenges it causes and get the support they need.
I have great difficulty understanding things like mathematics and science. My dismal marks in physics caused me to drop out of high school. When I knew I was called to be a pastor, I managed to go back to school and find ways through the system.
Learning that I am dyslexic has helped me make sense of so many things that had made me feel inadequate. For example, playing musical instruments, singing, trying to dance will always be a challenge but I can still enjoy myself, even when I can’t find the right note. Looking after my budget and my financial affairs will always leave me anxious, but I’m getting better at getting help to sort them out.
This is only one of the conditions that I live with. It’s a big help to be living in a time when we are discovering more about each of them and how to support and encourage each other. (By the way, I passed chemistry only because I promised my teacher that I would never inflict myself upon another chemistry teacher again. It was said in love as we both chuckled.)
GLIMPSES
Naming racism within and around us (p. 15).
There are enormous differences between Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity, but there are things common between us (p. 9).
Decolonizing our churches (p. 19) and Reweaving our lives (p. 22) offer a variety of things learned during a three-day ecumenical conference in Saskatoon.
Kenn Ward
Editor
Loading ...