Biblical Justice

The most recent issue of the Journal of Religion, Disability, and Health, focuses on the topic of Inclusive Christian Schooling. While leafing through the issue I found myself overwhelmed by the many levels/perceptions of what it means to be an inclusive community. For us at Derry, being inclusive in worship and Sunday school looks very different than being inclusive in our enrichment program - or does it? D.W Anderson (Emeritus Professor of Education, Bethel University) author of the article Biblical Justice, would suggest otherwise. In his article, Anderson suggests that 'Biblical justice establishes a situation in which shalom* is possible' (p. 351). For Anderson shalom comes when each member of a community is seen as a contributor rather than a recipient. To this note he quotes Black, saying, 'A theology of interdependence honors the value of all individuals, not by what they do, but by who they are, recognizing that each and every person contributes to the community by being, not by doing. Interdependence acknowledges not only our dependence on God and one another, but also God's dependence on us to be agents of God's healing compassion in the world.' (Black, 1996, p. 42)

So does being an inclusive community look different based on setting? Certainly the 'logistics' of inclusion would, for instance, circle time is unique to the enrichment program and the offering is unique to worship. However, when you stop to consider the heart of the matter, no matter the setting, inclusion looks the same. Whether working with those who are temporarily able-bodied or those who have a disability, inclusion means making God's justice 'visible and believable ' through our 'words, actions, lifestyles, and teaching.'

*Shalom, is a Hebrew word meaning 'universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight - a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed, all under the arch of God's love...in other words...the way things are supposed to be.' (Plantinga, 2002, p. 15)