Emily Mayfield is a rising junior at Covenant College studying English. She attends church at New City East Lake when at school in Chattanooga. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, and sewing. She also loves volunteering with her home church’s special needs ministry in Nashville, Tennessee.
Advocating for those with disabilities is encouraged in the Bible. Take, for instance, Proverbs 31:8-9: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy”...
In Jesus’ day, people often were afraid to be close to a person with a disability or a disease. This was especially true in the case of leprosy – it was contagious, and people with the disease were considered unclean. Healthy people kept their distance, physically and...
You may be surprised, as I was, to find out that God addresses how Christians are to interact with disability in Leviticus 19:14: “You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.” When you combine...
In Exodus 4:10-13, we witness a discussion between the Lord and Moses. God has called Moses to speak for Him and to proclaim His name to the Egyptians. Moses is also called to be God’s mouthpiece to the Israelites. However, Moses says to God in protest, “‘Oh, my Lord,...
The New Testament has plenty of instances in which Jesus interacts with those with a disability, but what about in the Old Testament? There are still some great examples of how to treat someone with a disability, and one of the best is David’s example in the way he...
In John 9:1-41, we read of Jesus’ interaction with a blind man at the pool of Siloam. Jesus frequently interacts with the blind or with people with various infirmities and disabilities. Because of that, His encounter with this blind man is not altogether unusual for...
In the pages of the Bible, and especially in the Gospels, Jesus interacts with people with disabilities and infirmities frequently. One such instance is contained in Luke 18:35-43. In this portion of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus encounters a blind man on the road near...
The Bible is full of instances in which people with disabilities interact with Jesus. One such instance is in Luke 5:17-26. In this passage, Jesus heals a paralyzed man, brought to Him by his friends’ courageous efforts. The passage explains, “And behold, some men...
When I was six years old, my maternal grandmother was in a car wreck that left her paralyzed from the neck down for the rest of her life. At the time, my family never could have imagined the beauty that would shine through amidst the intense pain of watching someone...
Oftentimes when we are suffering, we search for a “why.” Why are we, or someone we love, suffering? Why would God allow this, even direct it to happen, when He can see how much I’m hurting? These are all questions I have asked in my own life, and I’m sure some of you...
Last summer, I had the privilege of hearing Joni Eareckson Tada speak on the topic of disabilities. Joni has been a quadriplegic in a wheelchair for most of her life, and she started a ministry called Joni and Friends to minister to others dealing with disabilities...