S02, Ep. 11: The Disabled God
Mandi shares an important biblical fact that blows the traditional christian perspective of disability out of the water.
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Transcript
Mandi: Mandi Frantz here welcoming you to my podcast - Find Your Beautiful: Life Through the Eyes of a Christian Disabled Woman.
Mandi: Hey Beauties! Last Spring I had the unique privilege of participating in a program at MIT. Quick shout-out to my Link20 friends for making that happen. During my time there, we focused on different disability related issue. One of the issues had to do with the physical differences some disabilities cause in a person's body, more specifically how these differences affect people's physical and sexual attraction to people with disabilities. Mandi: Mandi Frantz here welcoming you to my podcast - Find Your Beautiful: Life Through the Eyes of a Christian Disabled Woman.
[Upbeat Background Music]
Let's face it, when we talk about body positivity, it is rarely inclusive of disability. I went on Instagram and looked up the hashtag #bodypositive and scrolled through a good number of photos. I only saw 1 that featured a person with a visible disability. She used a wheelchair. I also noticed very few men, though there were more pictures of men than visibly disabled people. I point all this out to say that there continues to be a gap in this movement. I'm in no way trying to take away from the fact that curvy ladies deserve the space to say that they love their bodies. All I'm saying is that people with disabilities need a platform to say the same. There is still a lot of work to do to change people's perception of the perfect body, whether we're talking about weight, complexion, skin type, or abilities.
I do believe that for people with physical disabilities, like mine, the battle may be hard won. This got me to thinking about our understanding of perfection. As I've previously stated, I think so many of our ideas are steeped in religious beliefs, even if you're not a Christian. So many people talk about the perfection of Jesus. Jesus is perfect in every way! I 100% agree with this. I also believe Jesus' "disabled" body is perfect too.
So, today I'll talk about the disabled God!
[Mandi voices Ad (ads change and will vary)]
[Doorbell Sound Effect]
Mandi: "I bet you can't wait for your resurrected body." "Are you just going to run as soon as you get to heaven?" I've heard these things from well-intentioned Christians more times than I care to count. I won't say I'm offended exactly, but I will say this didn't help me feel very valuable growing up. See? These are statements that are intended to give hope, but imply that my current situation is hopeless. I hope that if you've been following this podcast, you know by now that disability does not automatically doom you to a hopeless life. Nevertheless, people envision all disabled people being "freed from their ailments and afflictions" when Jesus returns on Judgment Day.
This idea of a resurrected body is very highly debated, even among Christians. Is it a physical body? A spiritual body? If physical, what happens to those who are cremated? What about the decomposition of bodies after death? Where are souls now since Judgment Day hasn't arrived? The truth is, no matter what anybody tells you, no one really knows what happens when we die, or what the resurrected body will be like. I, for sure, will not pretend to have some grand revelation from God about this. The thing I want to address is not about things we don't know, but about what we do know based on the only person in history who was resurrected by his own power. I will specifically relate this to body positivity and the idea of perfection, as well as how this intersects with disability.
Many non-believers know the basic story of Jesus and his death. Jesus refused to deny that he is the Son of God, the King. Calling anyone, but Caesar, king was against the law. Despite having done nothing wrong, Jesus is crucified, nailed by his hands and feet to a cross. After dying on the cross, he is pierced through his side. Jesus is then laid in a tomb. Mary Magdalene goes to visit the tomb, but realizes the stone that sealed the tomb had been opened and Jesus' body is gone. She tells a couple of Jesus' disciples that he is missing and they confirm this by checking for themselves. And then the big reveal! Jesus reveals himself to Mary Magdalene and tells her to share the news that he is alive with his disciples. I do want to note that the bible tells us that Mary Magdalene looked at Jesus, but did not realize it was him. She thought he was the gardener. She didn't recognize him until he said her name. This is a recurring situation during Jesus' 40 day return from death. People didn't always recognize him. Now, I have had the experience of seeing someone I never expected to see and it taking a minute to register who they are. I imagine in a state of trauma this might be even more possible, but still it's worthy of noting that he was initially unrecognizable to her and others after his resurrection.You can read the story of Jesus in many books in the New Testament. My brief paraphrasing here is from the book of John.
Speaking of the book of John, let's pick up in chapter 20 starting at verse 19. Jesus has already shown himself to Mary Magdalene and she has told the disciples about it. In verses 19 through 20, we see Jesus visit the disciples. In verse 20, Jesus shows his disciples his hands and side before they are overjoyed to see him. Wait, stop right there, say whaaat? Why would Jesus do this? What could he be showing them? Ok, it's not clear yet, but it gets clearer. Jump down to verses 25-27. This is the Doubting Thomas story. Thomas wasn't with the disciples when Jesus visited, so they told him about his resurrection. Verse 25 says, "But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my fingers where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."" We see a week go by and then Jesus appears, through locked doors nonetheless, and in verse 27 he says to Thomas, ""Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.""
If you don't get where I'm going, listen up! Jesus' resurrected body has the holes from the nails he was crucified with. He has a hole in his side, deep enough that Thomas can put his hand in. This is his resurrected body! Can we start rethinking perfection yet? Can we start talking about the fact that if there is a person with holes in there hands or sides today, they are considered disabled? Why then, are we striving for man's idea of perfection? What if my disabled body is actually a closer reflection of perfection than not? What if the hashtag body positive was meant for someone just like me?
Jesus ascends to heaven in the book of Acts chapter 1 without ever curing his holes, as far as we know. He resides in heaven waiting for the day he has chosen to return to, yes, resurrect the dead, and judge. I don't know what a resurrected body means for me, but I do know that I will be joyful no matter what because there will be no sadness or pain. Maybe that means I walk, run, figure skate, make a fist, and do spirit fingers. But maybe, just maybe it means everyone sees me as valuable and needed to make the community whole. Maybe it means there are no barriers preventing me from traveling wherever I please. Maybe I never face discrimination again. Maybe I'm viewed as part of the ideal. Perhaps, in my resurrected form on the New Earth, I will simply be healed.
This idea of a resurrected body is very highly debated, even among Christians. Is it a physical body? A spiritual body? If physical, what happens to those who are cremated? What about the decomposition of bodies after death? Where are souls now since Judgment Day hasn't arrived? The truth is, no matter what anybody tells you, no one really knows what happens when we die, or what the resurrected body will be like. I, for sure, will not pretend to have some grand revelation from God about this. The thing I want to address is not about things we don't know, but about what we do know based on the only person in history who was resurrected by his own power. I will specifically relate this to body positivity and the idea of perfection, as well as how this intersects with disability.
Many non-believers know the basic story of Jesus and his death. Jesus refused to deny that he is the Son of God, the King. Calling anyone, but Caesar, king was against the law. Despite having done nothing wrong, Jesus is crucified, nailed by his hands and feet to a cross. After dying on the cross, he is pierced through his side. Jesus is then laid in a tomb. Mary Magdalene goes to visit the tomb, but realizes the stone that sealed the tomb had been opened and Jesus' body is gone. She tells a couple of Jesus' disciples that he is missing and they confirm this by checking for themselves. And then the big reveal! Jesus reveals himself to Mary Magdalene and tells her to share the news that he is alive with his disciples. I do want to note that the bible tells us that Mary Magdalene looked at Jesus, but did not realize it was him. She thought he was the gardener. She didn't recognize him until he said her name. This is a recurring situation during Jesus' 40 day return from death. People didn't always recognize him. Now, I have had the experience of seeing someone I never expected to see and it taking a minute to register who they are. I imagine in a state of trauma this might be even more possible, but still it's worthy of noting that he was initially unrecognizable to her and others after his resurrection.You can read the story of Jesus in many books in the New Testament. My brief paraphrasing here is from the book of John.
Speaking of the book of John, let's pick up in chapter 20 starting at verse 19. Jesus has already shown himself to Mary Magdalene and she has told the disciples about it. In verses 19 through 20, we see Jesus visit the disciples. In verse 20, Jesus shows his disciples his hands and side before they are overjoyed to see him. Wait, stop right there, say whaaat? Why would Jesus do this? What could he be showing them? Ok, it's not clear yet, but it gets clearer. Jump down to verses 25-27. This is the Doubting Thomas story. Thomas wasn't with the disciples when Jesus visited, so they told him about his resurrection. Verse 25 says, "But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my fingers where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."" We see a week go by and then Jesus appears, through locked doors nonetheless, and in verse 27 he says to Thomas, ""Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.""
If you don't get where I'm going, listen up! Jesus' resurrected body has the holes from the nails he was crucified with. He has a hole in his side, deep enough that Thomas can put his hand in. This is his resurrected body! Can we start rethinking perfection yet? Can we start talking about the fact that if there is a person with holes in there hands or sides today, they are considered disabled? Why then, are we striving for man's idea of perfection? What if my disabled body is actually a closer reflection of perfection than not? What if the hashtag body positive was meant for someone just like me?
Jesus ascends to heaven in the book of Acts chapter 1 without ever curing his holes, as far as we know. He resides in heaven waiting for the day he has chosen to return to, yes, resurrect the dead, and judge. I don't know what a resurrected body means for me, but I do know that I will be joyful no matter what because there will be no sadness or pain. Maybe that means I walk, run, figure skate, make a fist, and do spirit fingers. But maybe, just maybe it means everyone sees me as valuable and needed to make the community whole. Maybe it means there are no barriers preventing me from traveling wherever I please. Maybe I never face discrimination again. Maybe I'm viewed as part of the ideal. Perhaps, in my resurrected form on the New Earth, I will simply be healed.
[Bling]
Mandi: I want to thank Curtis Williams for leaving this voice message for me!
Curtis: Hello Mandi, this is Curtis Williams. We connected on Instagram recently. I just heard your God's 2020 Vision about disability just a little bit ago. I thought it was really great podcast. I really hadn't thought that much about Exodus and Moses with his disability issues and then what was said there from God in terms of God's just complete sovereignty and what he allows, what he ordains for people to go through by way of disability. You know, just what he does in that. I thought it was just an excellent example, an excellent verse, couple of verses there, to discuss disability. So I thought it was really great actually. A really great podcast, so awesome job.
Mandi: Please download the Anchor mobile app, subscribe to this podcast so you can leave me a voice message with your questions and thoughts.
This podcast is also available on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and any other place you like to listen! Visit my website linked in the description to get access to all the platforms.
[Mandi voiceover to 'Compton' music]: In the next episode we will open the discussion about Inspiration Porn. Be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook at MandiBoxBeauty to stay connected. ‘Til next time Beauties!
Curtis: Hello Mandi, this is Curtis Williams. We connected on Instagram recently. I just heard your God's 2020 Vision about disability just a little bit ago. I thought it was really great podcast. I really hadn't thought that much about Exodus and Moses with his disability issues and then what was said there from God in terms of God's just complete sovereignty and what he allows, what he ordains for people to go through by way of disability. You know, just what he does in that. I thought it was just an excellent example, an excellent verse, couple of verses there, to discuss disability. So I thought it was really great actually. A really great podcast, so awesome job.
Mandi: Please download the Anchor mobile app, subscribe to this podcast so you can leave me a voice message with your questions and thoughts.
This podcast is also available on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and any other place you like to listen! Visit my website linked in the description to get access to all the platforms.
[Mandi voiceover to 'Compton' music]: In the next episode we will open the discussion about Inspiration Porn. Be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook at MandiBoxBeauty to stay connected. ‘Til next time Beauties!
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