June 13, 2016

“They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, “He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.” Mark 7:32-37

The bubble blower found in the Dollar Spot bin is shaped like a water pistol. But instead of shooting water, it shoots out bubbles in rapid succession. Any bubble blower is a great distraction for kids. Nothing says summer outside fun like bubbles. I have seen the bubble blowers used at wedding receptions, at outdoor picnics, and even just in the middle of the summer when kids need something to do. Bubbles are just fun.

Of course, there is nothing fun about having a speech impediment. When I was younger, I was impacted by a severe stutter. It was hard to read out loud; it was hard to say certain words; and the more worried or stressed I became, the worse it got. It was embarrassing to me, and kids often made fun of me or laughed when I couldn’t get a word out.

Do you know someone who has a speech impediment? I do. And I am proud of how he manages his impediment – because it is not an “impediment” to his life. He struggles with his speech, yes, but he also perseveres in assisting in our worship life. He reads lessons at our worship services, and participates with sermon discussions without hesitation. He is inspirational because we have come to see, not him as someone with a “disability”, we see him as a vibrant member of our worshipping community, because he is a loved child of G-d – which is the same way G-d sees him. We need to learn to see everyone not through the lenses that mark them as different, but through the same lens that G-d sees them – as beloved members of the community of faith.

Pastor Dave