There is a disconnect here, for those of us who have grown up in the church. No doubt we've all heard this sentence before: God displays Strength in Weakness. We profess to believe it and point to Biblical Examples like Moses and Gideon...but we still do everything in our power to avoid our own weakness:
We pray for Strength, skill, and blessing; we encourage others by emphasizing the positive instead of sitting in the problem; we talk till we are blue in the face about authentic community, but we are still reluctant to share our fears and failures with other Christians.
What will it take for us to live out our weakness to God's Glory?
This is what I saw lived out at St. Vincent's. While there, we were told that the disabled rarely ever come out of their homes; they are often a burden to their families because shame and poverty tell them they have nothing of value. Rather than creatively seeking gainful employment for the physically and mentally disabled, the society at large has chosen to hide and forget, because the pain of limitation is too much to bear.
Is the United States all that different? Except we don't have the excuse of financial hardship to pardon our mistreatment of the weak in the world.
It is because a local priest had a different vision, because local teachers recognized value and victory in these forgotten ones, because a number of compassionate donors gave a portion of their means to build a place of empowerment, that the deaf, blind, lame, and simple in Port au Prince have a space where they can learn, identify their strengths, and contribute with dignity. Their beauty is not about compensating for disability; it is about living out God's redemption, generosity, patience, kindness, and understanding. Creativity, ingenuity, and hard work flourish here. In the face of that which the world despises as vulgar, pathetic, and vain, God has constructed a community of strength and acceptance.
Weakness consistently puts God on display. This is what Jesus meant when he spoke of the Son of Man being "lifted up" on a cross of execution, or what Paul meant when he insisted that his being the worst of sinners actually magnified God's glory (1 Timothy 1).
Let me give you another very real example. I saw this two years ago when my brother and sister-in-law lost their unborn twin sons. Rather than suck up the pain and withdraw, they courageously displayed their grief in their church family. I will never forget the moment in church when they stood to worship, leading the 300+ congregation in praise and thanksgiving to God even when we all were too broken to sing. The trials that draw us into ourselves could also result in the most stunning unification and glorification if we find the courage to share our burdens.
What would happen if I grieved, wrestled, and battled temptation as honestly and courageously? What would it take for me to get over myself and display my weakness for the sake of God's glory? What if we prayed for God to give victory rather than safety from the trial?
God displays Strength in Weakness. I don't want to sit back from this reflection and think "that's nice." No, I want to come to grips with my need to have weak and broken people in my life. Because if that's where God is at work, it is sure as heaven where I want to be.
