Inclusive service
By Reverend Andy Fleming, Associate Chaplain
Recently, our Year 10 students have begun a new service initiative at Black Mountain School. It involves running adapted activities during lunchtime for BMS students that cater for their disability and provide the opportunity for the students to succeed. The feedback I have received about this service opportunity has been overwhelmingly positive. Year 10 student James told me it’s been fantastic connecting with BMS students and supporting them in the activities. James says he feels a greater sense of gratitude for his opportunities, has become more open-minded to new possibilities, and is humbled working alongside BMS students.
Radford’s service-learning program has a strong focus on providing opportunities to not only develop students’ knowledge and awareness about disability, but to experience walking alongside others to connect with and learn from them, just as James has done. Complemented by the Year 9 RaVE unit, Celebrating Diversity, students who participate in service-learning opportunities at BMS and Cranleigh schools, as well as Embracing Ministries, work towards understanding what inclusion of people with a disability involves. This is reflective of the long-held Christian ideal of caring for those considered to be on the fringes of society.
Early followers of Jesus Christ stood beside people who were vulnerable to the Roman Empire’s casting out of anyone considered ‘less than’ in that ancient society. They embedded the practices learnt from Jesus’ teaching about how to care for the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. In Luke 14, Jesus heals a man and teaches about welcoming those who are disabled.
Today, we have greater resources to provide those with a disability the opportunity to thrive than the early Christians did. Along with Jesus’ teaching how to love one another, they showed us how we are to be inclusive in our actions, which might just require us to embrace walking alongside others to ensure they flourish, just like James and the Year 10 students are.
A loving prayer by Susan Joy Neville and Maurice Neville
Loving God
help us to love
with peace, with patience
with honour, with kindness help us to love
without envy
without pride
without boasting and in your love
challenge us
inspire us
empower us
to hope
to protect
to persevere
and always to rejoice!
Amen.
Last week myself and Reverend Dr Katherine Rainger attended the 48th Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn. To read more about it, please see the latest copy of Anglican News.