October 25th

The Voice Crying in the Wilderness

            Now this was Johns testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”

            They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”

            He said, “I am not.”

            “Are you a prophet?

            He answered, “No.”

            Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

            John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”

John 1:19-23

            The religious leaders were trying to figure John the Baptist out.  The problem was that he was not fitting into any of the descriptions that they were trained to look for.  He was clearly sent from God as his words held power and the hearts of the people turned to him in droves.  But he was not the Messiah.  And he was not the reincarnation of Elijah.  He was not the country’s first prophet in centuries.  He was not a priest.  He was not a rabbi.  He was not one of their theological politicians.  The religious leaders were stumped because John did not look like anyone that they expected.  He did not talk like anyone that they expected.  He did not act like anyone that they expected.  And they just did not know what to do with him.

            Sound familiar?

            Some of our kids have clear signs that tell the outside world that they have a disability.  It could be a wheelchair or a service animal or a walker.  Most people see those signs and put our kids into a category that contains a certain type of social expectations and interactions.

            Some of our kids do not have those clear signals and so the expectation is that the conversation will be a typical one.  And then things go sideways as our kids speak.  There are awkward pauses and inappropriate personal space intrusions and laughs that come out of nowhere and volume control issues and it is not what people are expecting or looking for and so they place our kids into the wierdo category and quickly try to find somewhere else to be.

            My son has always done really well being around little kids.  He is patient with their ignorance and their trying new things.  He is incredibly generous and eager to help and they think that it is so great that a big kid is playing with them.  My youngest is a little over ten years younger than my son and the two of them get along shockingly well.  There were times this summer when we would look out the window and see them riding scooters up and down the street, smiles on their faces as my daughter raced and my son held up a home-made wind machine in the air to see if he could gauge how fast they were going.   They laughed and played and just enjoyed each other.

            Kids cause my son anxiety, just like everyone else, but they are also incredibly accepting when he acts quirky.  Maybe it is because they don’t know any better.  Maybe it is because they are trying to figure out what is quirky and what is acceptable.  Maybe they are just excited that a big person wants to spend time with them.  Whatever the reason, small children tend to not be confused by my son.  They don’t put him into boxes that don’t fit and are just happy to play.  It is a nice change of pace from the peers that he usually spends time around.

            It is a worthwhile exercise to consider what settings are welcoming to your child.  Is it with little kids?  Consider taking them with you to help in the nursery.  Is it with the elderly?  Consider bringing your child with you to visit a retirement center.  Is it with animals?  There are some pets or shelters that are remarkably helpful and soothing.  Where can our kids interact with others where they are welcomed and accepted instead of scorned?

A moment to reflect:

Just like our kids, we need spaces that welcome us.  Where do you go in order to find people who are happy to see you?