My
wife Sheila will not park in a handicapped spot. She won’t sit in a wheelchair, nor will she
lean on someone else’s crutches or cane.
She has this semi-superstition that if she acts like she needs the help
then God will make it so she really needs it.
Other
people don’t share Sheila’s apprehension----like the driver in the picture
above. I think that if you asked the
driver why he took the handicapped spaces, he’d say what an associate once told
me when I asked why his able-bodied tail parked in handicapped spaces.
He
said, “It’s a good spot, and I’m in a hurry.”
And
that’s why King David of the Old Testament parked in a handicapped spot.
Let
me explain.
In
1 Samuel chapter 21, David was a fugitive from his jealous and homicidal
king. David had loyally served King Saul,
protected Saul’s kingdom as an elite soldier, ministered to Saul’s distressed
spirit as a musical therapist in his court, saved the king from assassination
on at least 2 occasions, befriended Saul’s son, and --- by Saul’s own
arrangement--- married Saul’s daughter.
Still King Saul wanted David dead, so David had to leave town. In fact, David had to leave the country.
Then David arose and fled that day from before Saul,
and went to Achish the king of Gath. (1 Samuel 21: 10)
Gath
was Goliath’s hometown. You know--- Goliath, the giant, champion of Philistia,
blasphemer of God; David hit him in the head with a rock and cut off his
head. That Goliath. That Gath. (1 Samuel 17)
You
wouldn’t think that David would find a safe place in Gath, having decapitated their
local celebrity and all. But Saul was
closing in and David was in a hurry to find sanctuary. So, David found a spot for the handicapped.
So he changed his behavior before them, pretended
madness in their hands, scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his
saliva fall down on his beard. (1 Samuel 21: 13)
David
feigned mental illness. He pretended to
have a cognitive disability.
He
played crazy.
And
they let him stay parked in Gath.
Then Achish [king of Gath] said to his servants, “Look, you see the man
is insane. Why have you brought him to me? Have I need of madmen, that you have brought
this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow
come into my house?” (1 Samuel 21: 14, 15)
Instead
of bringing David into his house (in chains), Achish told his people to leave
ole’ crazy David alone.
Cause
ancient peoples (pagan and Jew) kept reserved space for the mentally ill.
Long
before researchers began to understand the true nature of mental illness, God
understood. Long before advocates began
to call on societies to stop mistreating those who used to be called
handicapped, God had already codified special protection for them in His Word.
You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling
block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord. (Leviticus
19:14)
Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind man on the
road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen. (Deuteronomy 27: 18)
Supposedly
religious people (including supposed Christians) have in various times and
settings horribly mistreated the disabled, and done so in the name of God. But God Himself---- God has always been in
favor of towing the non-disabled guy double-parked in the handicapped spaces.
David wasn't really disabled, so he didn’t stay parked in Gath very long.
1 Samuel chapter 22 says that David moved to a non-handicapped space in
Adullam. It wasn’t as close a space. In fact it was way out in a cave. (1
Samuel 22: 1)
David, a student of God's Word, understood that YOU AIN’T SUPPOSED TO PARK IN
HANDICAPPED SPACES.
God
wants and expects us to set aside space in our land and our resources for those with special needs, i.e., the especially needy.
When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall
not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings
of your harvest.
And you shall
not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your
vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the
Lord your God. (Leviticus 19: 9, 10)
As
Jesus said in Luke 14: 13, 14,
“When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your
friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also
invite you back, and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast,
invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the
blind.
And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay
you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
In
His Word, God is up front that when we set aside those resources, someone will
exploit the system. Somebody who isn’t
disabled will park in front of the wheelchair sign. Somebody who could have a job will choose to
draw unemployment. People will park in
the fire lane when nobody’s even on fire.
It's gonna
happen.
Set aside the space anyway.
David’s
playing crazy did not invalidate God’s Word in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. And, none of the very real abuses of
charitable systems invalidate our obligation to care for those who are
especially needy.
Just
cause some jerk double-parks in the handicapped spot doesn’t mean you take down the
signs.
But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his
brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God
abide in him? (1 John 3: 17)
---Anderson T. Graves
II is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry,
and rural leadership development.
Rev.
Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Miles Chapel CME Church (5220 Myron Massey
Boulevard) in Fairfield, Alabama;
executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking
Organization (SAYNO); and director of rural leadership development
for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).
Email atgravestwo2@aol.com
Support
by check or money order may be mailed to
Miles
Chapel CME Church
P O
Box 132
Fairfield,
Al 35064
