Connecting co-production and religious groups: TTFD

Thought for the day originally published 17.3.19

I have to admit when I was planning this thought for the day I was a bit stumped what to focus on, and given the monopoly that Brexit is currently holding in our conscious, I wanted to steer clear of it. The fact I have a particularly strong opinion on the matter also impacted this decision.

Amongst the current news items, I remembered an article I co wrote with two fellow students at the University of Kent, Lily Dedman and Kyla Greenhorn, on why disability history month is important to us. Disability history month is an annual selection of events, often held in universities. The idea behind it is the struggle that disabled people face when fighting for equality and human rights. In our article we wrote about the commonalities in our experiences as disabled and/or neurodivergent students. We are not disabled in the same way, however we all face barriers which are thematically similar, including a lack of understanding, being ‘pitied’, seen as ‘an inspiration’ for just living and being, and our fight for equal access to various aspects of society.

This got me thinking. Where do religious communities, and communities associated with belief systems in general, fit into this dialogue? I mean, we have straplines broadcasting that we are ‘inclusive’, ‘welcoming’ and ‘open to all’. But are we really? And if we are saying these things, are we saying these things because we are ‘inclusive’, or because we want to be? Are we checking with those we are saying we are welcoming, that they too feel welcome? I can’t help but ask these questions of the situation, both as an academic and as a neurodivergent person who has experienced exclusion myself in various scenarios.

Taking a Christian slant on it, I think Galatians 3:28 is pretty fundamental in teaching about inclusion: ‘There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.’ Therefore if we are all one, we should be seeking to make sure that all are heard and all who wish to access and participate, can. I also think we can take it one step further. We can engage with, and actively listen to, the voices of disabled people and their experiences of Church and community. Rather than try and squeezing everyone into a ‘bums on seats at 10.30 am with band at front’ approach, we can re evaluate what we mean by church and self-inspect our attitudes towards disabled people, as research reports attitudes of others impact experiences of church. If we are all one in Christ, then therefore we need to evaluate dynamics of power and the attitudes we hold towards others.

In the article I co wrote with Lily and Kyla, we wanted to present the ‘disabled voice’, or in plain English, put our words onto paper and get ourselves heard as a collective. Communities associated with belief systems need to listen to the voices and experiences of disabled people, and truly take them onboard, for a tentative first step towards a complete body and community expressed on Earth.