Pastoral Relationship with People with Intellectual ... - Theses

2656.5 How Do I Regard the One Before Me?And so, in the light of the revelation of these narrative wefts, how do Iregard the one before me, the one who can be observed as the Slave?I begin to see the one before me as so much more than a Slave. Yes, thereare the marks of oppression, the stories of abuse, privation, disempowerment,neglect and acquiescence. These are clear and present. They are the visiblewounds of the one who’s been incarcerated. They are there to be seen. Theyshould be seen, because for too long they have been wounds hidden from the lightof day by those who inflict and harm. They should be seen because without thatlight the wounds will remain to fester; they cannot be treated and healed. Withouthonest revelation, the wounding, the oppression will continue unabated. Thewounding will be seen as normal, and normal becomes acceptable and necessary.But as the one before me reveals something of their incarcerated story, I begin tosee a fuller, more human identity.I no longer sit as an observer but as one who needs to be fully present, notjudging but accepting, not telling but listening, not quick to do but prepared tobe. I begin to see someone who is more than an oppressed, wounded person.There is now one who describes a story of spirit and vitality, of attitudes andbehaviours that transcend the ties that bind and harm. This person not only has astory that reveals their humanity to me, but a humanity that touches and woundsme, yet restores me to life.It is also a story that radically challenges and changes my perspective.This person before me is no Slave, never has been, never will be, not to my eye.They are a fellow human being and child of God. I realize I am a mutualparticipant in life with this one with whom I now share in humanity as a woundedyet loved child of God. I realize my need of the child of God before me just as theone with whom I am fundamentally connected may have regard for the child ofGod in me. We need each other to experience love. We need each other to bewhole. We need each other to see God, and experience the God whose image isimpressed on all humanity.