Amplifying Our Witness by Conner Benjamin T.;

Author:Conner, Benjamin T.;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Eerdmans

Witness

Professor Nathan

What better way to teach seminary students about nurturing child and adolescent spirituality among adolescents with developmental disabilities than to have a kid with Asperger’s syndrome as the guest lecturer? I knew it would not be easy, though. For example, if you want to have a deep and somewhat sequential conversation with Nathan, you will need to have that conversation while you are assembling a complex puzzle together. The activity occupies one part of his mind and frees others up so that he can engage you.6 I’m thinking of the time that Nathan came over to my house and we were praying before sharing a meal together. Nathan, whose family attends a Catholic Church, made the sign of the cross. I asked him about it and he admitted that he did not know what it meant. Nathan wanted to know why people in his church tradition make the sign of the cross, so as soon as he arrived home he asked his mother about it and they had a great spiritual conversation. His mother related another story to me. On one occasion when Nathan went to church the priest was shaking holy water on the congregation. When the priest approached, many people around them seemed to find this the ideal time to tie their shoe or put a hymnal down — after all, it is uncomfortable getting sprinkled with water and inconvenient getting specks of water on one’s glasses. Nathan, however, raised his face to heaven and spread his arms. He did not completely understand what was going on, but he wanted to get as much of what he understood to be “good” on him as he could.

I once had Nathan draw me a picture of friendship. He is a very fine artist who, as a result of his Asperger’s, is able to focus on a project and give attention to detail in a way that very few can. At first, however, I was a little disappointed with his picture. To me it looked like two people shaking hands. Had I been more attentive to the details, though, I would have noticed that the hands were facing the same direction — not the brokering of a deal or a salutary greeting, but instead one is grasping the other in a supportive fashion.

Nathan had already taught me so much and was very excited to support me by helping me teach my class. During the hour ride to campus we had a great conversation in which I prepared him to meet the class. When we arrived at the basement classroom the class was welcoming. Nathan was impressed and very engaged by a Godly Play presentation, involving props and storytelling, by a couple of the students. At one point he became extremely distracted by a piece of string, but he recovered. When it was his turn to take over I had not so much as introduced him when he marched to the front of the class, pretended to tap on the podium with an imaginary ruler, and said, “Professor Nathan, at your service.

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