One of my favorite quotes of all time has been attributed to an English reformer and martyr named John Bradford, who was executed in England in 1555 for his religious beliefs.
Earlier in his life he witnessed a criminal going to the scaffolds and was heard to explain There but by the grace of God, goes John Bradford, which is poignant considering the fact that he was later burned at the stake. Since the 16th century, that quote has taken on a life of its own.
The most popular use of the phrase is There but by the grace of God, goes I. Prior to this modern rendition, it was used by the famous English author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in his Sherlock Holmes series and by Winston Churchill who once said There but by the grace of God, goes god to describe one of his counterparts in Parliament. Many believe that Bradford paraphrased 1 Corinthians 15 which says that For I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am
The reason I mention this phrase is because the other day I heard someone tell another individual that they were retarded, and this is the second time this has happened in the last few weeks.
I had hoped we had gotten beyond that point, and that is when this famous quote came to mind. I wanted to say there but by the grace of God goes you, but I didnt think the individual would be able to grasp the analogy. He could never understand that anothers misfortunes could be his own. I believe I reacted appropriately and told him that I worked with people with disabilities and that the word was offensive to both them and me. I then asked him politely not to use the word anymore, he looked at me strangely and said OK. Will he continue to use the word? I have no idea, but at least I made him think about it and that is a start.
Sometimes I think we take too much for granted, myself included. We believe that we are in control, will always be healthy, will always be safe, secure, fed, clothed, employed and housed. I think we forget that something bad can happen to us at any time and as we have found out the last few years, any place, including schools, day cares, and shopping malls. We can be completely healthy one minute and the next face a debilitating injury or disease that changes our lives forever.
It happens every day. Someone is on their way to work, they are involved in a vehicle accident and end up with severe brain damage. That results in that individual needing to be spoon fed, showered, pushed in a wheel chair, and all of their daily living activities provided for them. It is devastating to the individual, family and friends.
This situation, the use of the R word, drove me into a period of reflection, especially since I had just mentioned this issue in last months column. I would never pray for the misfortune of others to teach them a lesson, but how do you get through to someone who is oblivious to the world around them.
I hope that by continued education and reminding people that name calling does not solve problems, that we can move beyond this subject. I think from now on when I hear the R word, I will personally mention to the individual that anyone can become disabled at any time, explain it in whatever detail is necessary so they understand and there by the grace of God go I.
