‘Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death [Peter] was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”‘
If we remove the section in brackets, Jesus words to Peter become a statement of fact all of us are either forced to endure or accept with whatever grace we can muster. Life comes with limits which are only going to increase with each year we add to its span.
Over this past few years all four associates of the Collective have faced the reality of new limits being placed upon us. Disability, sickness, adaptation to new circumstances, bereavement, family crises and the lingering effects of past trauma have all reared their heads. Each have been processed with family and friends and with each other, always with the intention of following Jesus more honestly and authentically.
Over the coming months Simon and Craig are going to spend time reflecting on our experience of living within limits we did not choose. We have invited some new voices to join us in our discussions and Simon and I have been amazed at the depth of honesty and insight our friends have brought to the discussion.
We both have a story which involves living with disability, although our circumstances are nothing like each other. Both of us have also thought deeply about neurodiversity in recent years, leading to some deep discussions about the brain and the different ways each of us process the world around us.
As we reflect theologically the most obvious, and maybe the most profound, scriptural passage that comes to mind has to be Philippians 2. Paul asserts that Jesus willingly limited himself in order to be born amongst us and relate to us. I have sat through long lectures unpacking differing theories about how ’emptying himself’ might influence our understanding of his divine/human status but surely the most important revelation to grapple with is the suggestion that Jesus chose to do so. This is just one of many theological questions we explore in this blog series.
This is going to be a long journey, not least because Simon and I have encountered some engaging and thoughtful friends along the way. We would also like to engage with you if you have any comments or questions at any point along our journey. We may respond to these, either by extending the blog series, or in the podcasts we intend to host in the New Year. If you would like to interact with us along the way we invite you to email us at hello@northumbrian.org
