Thursday, March 13

Today’s Lectionary Readings: Psalm 2; Ezekiel 3:4-11; John 10:19-42; 2 Corinthians 12:7-11; Psalm 92

As someone who was born with a physical handicap (club feet), I’ve always been able to celebrate the spirit of the words from today’s passage from 2 Corinthians. Of course I wasn’t always in the headspace of 2 Corinthians 12:7 (“I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations”) for my physical handicap didn’t always seem like a gift. In fact, it wasn’t until I was in my twenties that I could fully embrace what the author was getting at in this morning’s passage. For in my twenties, I came to terms with another part of myself that put me at odds with the rest of society: I came to terms with my same-gender orientation. And through this experience I began to slowly experience the sentiment of our “handicaps” being a gift. You see had I gone through life as a white, middle class, heterosexual male, I might have been largely oblivious to the challenges faced by those who weren’t all of those things. In other words, I might not have understood things like sexism, racism, class-ism, able-ism, and all of the other –isms. It was only through what others perceived as my weakness, however, that other pieces of the human experience were opened to me and I was transformed me into an advocate for the rights of ALL people. Thanks be to God!! Over time I was able to claim for myself those timeless words: “for when I am weak, then I am strong!” (2 Corinthians 12:10 – NIV). Have you had a similar experience where a part of you that was once considered a weakness has – with the work of the Holy Spirit – helped you become strong? If so, I invite you to join me as together we give thanks for the “gift” which we have been given. Til next time…