Learning to Communicate to the Disabled

Jose is not a baseball player. He's not a sports star. He's a 40 plus year old resident among two hundred more that live under the care of Cedar Lake . He's an adult but intellectually as innocent as a ten year old child. He loves to fly on the airplane with his parents to Puerto Rico . He loves to ride in the car to anywhere. He loves amusement park rides, and loves just to be outside. He is also curious; sometimes plugging sinks just to study the water overflow; sometimes pushing the garage door opener up and down until the motor gets so hot that it won't run anymore. Jose is a joy to be around, gentle, and full of surprises.

I recently met Jose while on a tour of Cedar Lake . As the pastoral advisor for the Federation I am sitting on the call committee for Cedar Lake as it seeks to call a new Pastor for its Pastoral Advisor position. Now I know that most Lutherans have heard of Bethesda Homes for the Intellectually disabled. Cedar Lake is similar in its ministry. Disabled adults, like Jose, of various ages have been ministered to by Cedar Lake for thirty years.

One has to admire their tremendous strides in that time especially the strides in communicating with their residents. Each resident speaks their own language. The staff has had to learn many languages over the years. They have learned how to speak Autism, Down Syndrome, Downs with Alzheimer's, along with various other intellectual disabilities. They have had to learn habits, how moods are displayed, what they like for entertainment, food, and more important matters. This communication has become vital to their care.

For instance, Down Syndrome folks tend to develop Alzheimer's as they get older. I recently learned from Cedar Lake that when Down Syndrome residents with Alzheimer's don't feel well they lean; against walls, chairs, etc. They can't simply say, “I don't feel well.” But they do give off signals indicating their moods, feelings, and physical wellness. Cedar Lake has learned that this leaning by Alzheimer's residents is a sign that they are not feeling well. So Cedar Lake 's staff has learned to “listen” and respond appropriately.

The work at Cedar Lake is not so unlike Grace Lutheran. Communication is vital to our ministry efforts as teams and task forces. Communication is vital to understanding the Gospel, and to understanding each other. If we are to succeed our communication must be more like Pentecost then like Babel .

At the Tower of Babel languages became confused. No one could understand each other; words were coming out but others could not understand. The result was the end of their civilization, the end of building the tower, and the end of progress. This however, was God's intention, because the Tower of Babel was a monument to their arrogance instead of God's glory.

On the other hand Pentecost (Acts 2) welcomed the outpouring of the Holy Spirit where the disciples were able to speak in all the various languages represented by the visitors to Jerusalem at that time. The Spirit was speaking through the disciples; “Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors Rome, Cretans and

Arabs—We hear them proclaiming the wonders of God in our own tongue” (Acts 2:9-11). Could we not also include, “Autism, Down

Syndrome, Alzheimer's, Retardation, bad moods, wandering habits, tantrums, etc.” The message of the Gospel is always found in the love of Christ, and often the Spirit works where there are no words ever used.

Because of sin we are all disabled. Because of sin we are not always right in our thinking; we are not always well spoken or loving in our speaking; and we are not always faithful to the love of Christ. We forget to be compassionate and we struggle to walk in Christ.

But through the Spirit the gospel has been given and it makes us whole. The Spirit sets our thoughts on holy things, our words are compassionate, we express Christ's love and remember our mission is not to build towers to ourselves, but to build up people in Christ.

We can be thankful for Pentecost because it celebrates the gift of the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that brings us to faith, and is poured out in our Baptisms. He sets our minds on things above. He teaches us to pray and to love. The secret of Cedar Lake 's success and of Grace's success is in this Pentecost gift of the Spirit; but then marital wellness is also dependent on the Spirit, as well as parental relationships, financial success and good friendships. Everything Christian depends on the Spirit.

The only obstacle to Spirit's communication is a hardened heart, but even the hardest of hearts can be overcome in the Spirit. Just ask the Apostle Paul. So, I would pray that we would be more willing and more consistent in communicating Gospel. In doing so, we might be required to have more patience, more commitment, and more love to be heard and to understand; in some cases with those closest to us. Keep Listening and keep communicating! You may not win over 3000 converts like Peter did at Pentecost, but you might learn something about someone disabled by sin. You might win enough respect to talk some more about Jesus. You might just grow a little closer to someone at church. You may just find a way to finally be forgiven. Best of all, you might even win over another soul to Christ. Who knows? Just don't stop.

--Happy Pentecost--Pastor Woods