[Faith-talk] more thoughts about value of listserv

[Sandra Streeter]

OH, NO, SHE’S BACK!!! I knew my hiatus wouldn’t last!

Looking at all the posts about our listserv, I’m suddenly able to better articulate some of what I’ve said before, which might bear repeating anyway. I think that, because so many of us have experienced one or another difficulty (or several issues) with church, one great thing about this list is its potential to support us when we are too unhappy, broken, frustrated to engage with “the sighted” church; or, when we’re too ill to go, or lack transportation—whatever else. That’s why, within reason, I think exchanging views on not-necessarily-blindness-related areas of faith is fine, as long as we’re respectful with each other. H’mm, maybe “the blind church” could be an example to “the sighted church” of what it really means to love one another...

As to the issue of healing, Amen, Sarah—I am, by nature, more of a Charismatic, but with that package can come church theologies that may or may not jibe with my own, which, obvious from all my postings, is that God may or may not choose physical healing for His own and that, ultimately, it’s in His hands and we just need to seek Him out and settle in to what He has designed for us personally. That leaves room enough for me to pray for healing of my old knees, or my mildly-aging hearing, which He has not said “no” to. It also means accepting people as where they are in their own faith journey—that some will brashly and ill-manneredly approach those of us who have disabilities in the misguided belief in a one-size-fits-all faith journey. Since I have a tendency to garble, let me make it clear that, for me, “accept” doesn’t mean “condone”—it means having enough equanimity to intellectually understand, while not necessarily (though possibly, depending on the situation) running on parallel tracks. That’s what a lot of folks don’t understand, 
Btw, about empathy: it doesn't’[t mean you agree, it just means you are able to articulate their perspective to the extent that they feel understood, if not agreed with.

Time for a break, to do laundry and grab late lunch.



Sandra
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery
The Little Prince 
    

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