When we named our business and ministry Grace Without Margins years ago we were largely considering people with disabilities and how they were walking in the margins of our culture. They were often walking along the edge of society and not being accepted into it. This can be heart-breaking for the individual, as well as the friends and family that love them.
It has been encouraging to me to see the changes that have occurred in our society over the last 20 years. There have been advancements in accessibility, accommodations, mobility, education, and employment for those living with a disability. Sometimes it is good to take a few moments and reflect on the improvements that have been made so we can energize for the tasks that still lie ahead.
What intrigues me is to think about people who continually have to battle the margins of society and those that come in and out of the margins based on circumstances. I think we all stumble into the margins at times. We feel lonely, isolated, misunderstood and even rejected into the margins. We may feel like no one understands or cares.
Think about the woman who is physically abused by her husband.
Think about the child that is sexually abused on a regular basis.
What about the person struggling with alcohol or drug addiction?
What about the friend battling a mental health issue?
What about the parent whose child committed a serious crime?
The teenager struggling with an eating disorder.
The child battling cancer.
Many challenges in life can leave us in the margins. The beautiful part of that is, through those challenges in the margins, we can learn greater compassion and understand grace. We may not have walked the same journey but we have a better understanding of what it feels like to be alone, to be limited by our circumstances, to feel like no one cares. Look for those that are in the margins around you and help pull them into community. Who knows? It may help the margin you are living in get a little smaller.
No comments:
Post a Comment