Why Peace-Ability?

Changes can bring excitement, renewed hope, a broadened vision, and dreams for somethng better.  Changes can also bring uncertainty, doubt, unrest, anxiety and fear.  In short, there are all kinds of changes that affect us in differring ways.

This blog was created for a number of reasons, all of which are influenced by several changes.  I am a preacher/pastor.  Have been for 27 years.  But I am moving into a new area of ministry that will take me out of the pastoral model and with it, out of the pulpit.  Do you have any idea how hard it is for an old preacher not to preach?  Well, I have not stopped yet, as this change won't fully go into effect until the end of November.  But just the thought of not creating a weekly message to deliver has me wondering how I will be able to express and/or share my thoughts.  Enter the idea of a blog!

While the thought of a blog seems inviting, I do not cherish the idea of a free-for-all type of discussion.  That is to say I prefer to keep it a bit more focused on one or two themes.  The themes I have chosen to discuss are PEACEMAKING & SOCIAL JUSTICE issues and DISABILITIES AWARENESS.  Why these two?  Simple.  As an ordainded minister in the Church of the Brethren I embrace the Church's position that Christ calls each of us to be peacemakers.  Social justice goes hand in hand with peacemaking for peace can not be fully realized until there is justice and the needs of each person are met.

Likewise I have long been interested in the rights and the needs of the disabled.  I use the term "disabled" in the broadest sense to include mental and physical disabilities.  My interest in this stems from my family's personal involvement.  You see, I have a son who is now 20 years old.  He has a diagnosis of PDD-NOS (a form of autism) and mild mental retardation.  In caring for him over the years I have learned that there is too much to learn about these disorders.  That does not mean I stopped trying, however.  And the more I have learned the more I hear Jesus say "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me (Matthew 25:40, NIV)."  Oh there are many other passages that come to mind, but I need to refrain from preaching so the transition in my professional life will be a bit easier!

But this is not called "PEACE-DISABILITY".  It is "PEACE-ABILITY".  The implication is two fold.  With regards to Peace I want to stress my conviction that this ideal is possible.  We are able to achieve it, with God's help and grace.  With regards to disabilities I prefer to address the positives rather than the negatives.  I wish to encourage the abilities of people instead of looking at what they can not do.  Thus it may be thought of as an ABILITIES ministry rather than a disabilities ministry.

Now you know the birthing process for the title of this blog: PEACE-ABILITY.  I think it has a nice ring to it.  S,o welcome to my little world of thoughts, dreams, visions, and - at times - perhaps some chastising, as needed, of course!  I invite you to join me.  Share your responses.  Initiate discussions with your own ideas.  Let's talk together that we might grow together.  Perhaps along the way we might help make this world a little nicer to live in.  Who could argue with that?