The Lord had a glorified body. He could pass through walls. But…he had the scars! What are the implications of that? I wouldn’t have thought about it before reading this short vignette from Katherine Wolf. Katherine is married to Jay Wolf, son of Dr. Jay Wolf, long-time pastor of First Baptist Church of Montgomery, Alabama. I’ve met the elder Jay. Katherine and Jay were living in Southern California where Katherine was a model while Jay was in law school. She suffered a massive stroke in 2008. Here’s a brief version of their story<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The photos show Katherine and Jay and Penny, the subject of the vignette, with Katherine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anyway, back to the vignette, sent in an email on October 22, 2022. Katherine writes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n With only three words, my friend Penny, who has Down Syndrome, recently offered one of the most intriguing and refreshing theological insights on disability I\u2019ve ever heard. When Penny’s mom asked whether Penny thinks she\u2019ll have Down Syndrome in heaven, Penny answered: \u201cWhy wouldn\u2019t I?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n She\u2019s right. Why wouldn\u2019t she?! I couldn\u2019t imagine a more perfect version of Penny than the one we have here and now. Heaven couldn\u2019t improve on her.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Every experience of disability is unique and the collective story of disability is unfathomably complex\u2014from congenital to acquired, life-affecting to life-ending, physical to cognitive\u2014so I\u2019m not in the business of prescribing sweeping or simplistic theological answers. But Penny\u2019s response to a vast philosophical question invited me into a new way of approaching the tangled knot of suffering, sovereignty, healing and hurt.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Will I be \u201ctypically abled\u201d after this life\u2014my cerebellum restored, my face animated again, my balance regained, by double vision unified? I don\u2019t know. But I do think the more relevant question is, why would ability matter in a place of complete and unconditional belonging and belovedness?<\/em> – Katherine Wolf, hopeheals.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n I don’t know the answer either nor the implications, but Penny’s “Why wouldn’t I?” gives one pause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But Jesus said, \u201cLet the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.\u201d (Matthew 19.14, ESV)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Here’s a new (for me) take on a familiar story: On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, \u201cPeace be with you.\u201d When he had said this, he … Continue reading Scars in heaven?<\/span> ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drbobewell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/image-8.png?resize=474%2C351&ssl=1\")
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