No Prisoner the Mind (Updated from 7/27/2015)

 

The body was crippled up, probably with ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Lou Gehrig's disease, he wasn't as bad as Stephen Hawking, but he was still young.  I assumed time would not be his friend.  He looked to be in his thirties; it is hard to tell with the body surrendering itself to physical ravages of its own making.  The body didn't move much and the face seemed to remain emotionless as the eyes constantly wandered through his surroundings, locking on this person or that, for only a moment before pressing on.  

I was much too focused on watching him to consciously understand what I was now seeing.  I became aware only when our eyes met, two blank stares, and my mouth slightly open as if trying to verbalize the "whoops" I was thinking, being caught staring.

His head was cocked to one side as if the effort to hold it up was more than the body wanted to deal with.  His eyebrow suddenly hitched up, as if to confirm he'd caught me. An accusation I could not deny.  My only way out was to do what I always do - fall back and punt.  

I closed my stupid mouth, cocked my head slightly to one side, and arched my eyebrow, mocking him and, yet, not with the intent to poke fun.  He smiled in a silent understanding. I returned the smile and noticed his finger was slightly moving as if to point toward the floor, his eyes moving in tandem with the finger.  I, once again, understood.  I had dropped my sunglasses.  I reached down, retrieved them, and mouthed a silent thank you.  He smiled again, just as his caregiver returned.  His eyes glanced up to acknowledge her, then back to me as the wheelchair was moved off down the hall, a silent goodbye passed between us, and he was gone.

This is not my first encounter with the wheelchair-bound. Those who seem to be prisoners of their dysfunctional bodies.  It seems to me, the younger folks deal with these maladies much better than the older of us.  Maybe it's because we know what we're losing.  We know how our lives are going to change.  This isn't losing a limb. Being paralyzed is as close as I'd think one can get.  You lose the ability to communicate without extreme effort. Yet, there is communication.  One has to wonder if Stephen Hawking would have accomplished as much in theoretical physics, were he to have a normal life where his mind could be cluttered by minutia. But, instead, we are enjoying the fruits of his captive mind.   

One might wonder about the cruelty of God, and what this particular test of resolve would possibly accomplish for the poor soul I met or the people around them.  Like most of us, I selfishly thought of how, but for the grace of this same God, went my children, grandchildren... or, me.  Is this poor soul enduring all of this as a reminder for the rest of us to be ever thankful for the small things we take so much for granted?  

This is not a test for them, at all. It is, rather, a test for someone else. Is this "crippled person" simply playing out their role in a greater drama God has written for another?  Or, could it be that, in the next life, this suffering will serve them well in a much more important time, we will witness? Perhaps, a time when people, able to endure suffering, will lead others from darkness.  They will be of greater value to the selfish who ignored them. 

Stephen Hawking has taken to the belief there is no God, while other physicists are proving to themselves that the universe is nothing, if not proof, of a divine hand.  Is the difference his ALS?  Does he assign blame?  And, if he does, is this the reason for denying God? Could it be that, not assigning blame, is a contradiction?

"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

-- Hamlet (1.5.167-8)

When I think I have this down pat, once again I find myself all the poorer for not having taken time to know the person at the beginning of this post. At the very least, I could have introduced myself to him and treated the young man with respect due to another human being,  and not acted like everyone else saw him as an oddity to be gawked at in life. A shortcoming, I must still work on, is the humility to move passed my selfish embarrassment of having acknowledged their existence, and into the realm of common courtesy to another, equal, person.  

I still have much to learn. Don't we all?

“Too often, we thoughtlessly relegate things to the ever-dimming periphery of our lives, eventually jostling them off the edges to some ill-defined oblivion because we assume that we are done with them. The problem is, they may not be done with us.”

-- Craig D. Lounsbrough

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch - it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either view any more right or wrong than the other. Opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form their own opinions, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint.

I fervently hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning those opinions offered. After twenty-three years of military intelligence, I believe that engaging each other in this manner, and in this arena, is a way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience... and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. Following his service career, he spent 17 years working with the premier and world-renowned Western Institutional Review Board, helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. He also served 8 years on the Board of Directors for the Angela J. Bowen Foundation.

Ordained in 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As a weapon for his war on intolerance, he chose the pen. He wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's personal, spiritual path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as the lead chaplain at a regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony at: tolerantpastor@gmail.com