[转帖]Autism and the Bible

gracehome

Autism and the Bible[/ALIGN]The word autism is not mentioned in the Bible but, like so many things in life, the Bible seems to have something to say about it anyway. Think first about the symptoms of autism. To me, the most tragic part of autism is that I would love to comfort a child with autism, but he won't let me. The more I pull the child close to me, the more he pushes away. I try to communicate but she doesn't hear me. I try to teach her but she will not learn. Isn't this like our relationship to God?
God said through the prophet Isaiah: "Go and tell this people, Hear, but understand not; and see, but do not apprehend with your mind." (Isaiah 6:9). During this time the people of Israel would not listen to God or His prophets. He continually spoke to them but they would not hear. God sent many prophets who used many different methods to speak to them but try as they might, Israel would not listen. They had working ears but would not or could not hear. How like autism! Is this a taste of how God feels when dealing with us? Wouldn't you do anything to just get through to a person with autism? God will do anything to get you to listen to Him!
God said in the book of Matthew: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, . . . how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not!" (Matthew 23:37). The picture is God stretching out His hands to us to embrace us, but we reject Him. How like autism! God would love to hold us but we, like children with autism, push away from Him. He comes to us but we run from Him. We just do not understand how loving God is because we are incapable. He does not give up easily. He sent prophet after prophet, messenger after messenger, and finally, He sent His Son, Jesus, to be our Messiah, our Savior!
The desire to get inside the mind of a person with autism is the wish of many who deal with such children. We think that if we could just see the world the way they do, hear what they hear, experience life from their perspective, then we could understand and help them. God had the same problem with us. Nothing He did seemed to get through to us. Psalm 103:13-14 says, "Like as a father pities his children, so the Lord pities them that fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are only dust." God knew that the only way to get through to us would be to become one of us. Therefore, He sent His Son, "Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Phillipians 2:6-8). As a man, Jesus could understand our weaknesses and overcome them with faith. When we call on Him for help, it is not to some far-off God who doesn't understand what it is like to live in the real world, but we are calling on a God who walked where we walked, cried over the things that make us cry, laughed at the things that make us laugh, and sorrowed over the pains of this world as we do. Jesus knows autism. Jesus knows the pain you feel and He has the answer. Trust Jesus with your pain, your problems, your child's autism, and any other thing that is too big for you to handle alone. Remember: "For God so loved the world, that he sent His only begotten Son, that whosover believes
in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16). May the Lord richly bless you and may you find the Life that leads to true Joy, Peace, and Happiness!
Note: No example is perfect. Having autism is not the same as our decision not to seek God. People who have autism do not have it by choice. This example is not meant to equate autism with our spiritual condition but to help us all relate to the plight of autism and to lead those who desire to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
~GJH~

天上云雀

我试着将上面的帖子翻译成中文，让不懂英语的家长也能读

孤独症和圣经

圣经里并未提到孤独症一词，但是同生活中许多其他的事情一样，圣经似乎都有与之相关的内容．首先从孤独症的症状看，在我看来，孤独症最让人痛苦的事情是我愿意安慰一个患孤独症的孩子，但是他却让我无法做到．我越想拉近和孩子的关系，他却越想拉开，我想跟他交流，可是他根本不听我说．我努力去教她一些东西可是她却不学．这不正象我们与上帝的关系一样吗？

上帝藉先知以赛亚的口说：＂你去告诉这百姓说：你们听是要听见，却不明白；看是要看见，却不晓得。＂(Isaiah 6:9). 在那个时代，以色列人不愿听从上帝和他的先知，他不停地对人们说，但是人们却不听．上帝派了许多先知用不同的方式对人们说话，但是无论他们怎么努力，以色列都不听．他们的耳朵是正常的，但是听不到，这跟孤独症多么象啊！ 这不正是上帝跟我们交通时候的感受吗？你不是想尽一切办法要进入孤独症患者的心中吗？上帝也为了让你肯听他说话也愿意做任何事情．

上帝在马太福音一书中说：＂耶路撒冷啊，耶路撒冷啊，你常杀害先知，又用石头打死那奉差遣到你这里来的人。我多次愿意聚集你的儿女，好像母鸡把小鸡聚集在翅膀底下，只是你们不愿意。＂(Matthew 23:37). 这让我们看到上帝正伸湖他的手臂要拥抱我们，可是我们却拒绝他。这多么象孤独症！ 上帝那么想抱着我们，可是我们，跟孤独患儿一样，要推开他．他朝我们走来可是我们却从赶快跑开．我们就是不知道上帝是何等的爱，因为我们是无能的. 他不轻易放弃努力，他派了一个又一个先知，说了一个又一个信息，并且到最后，他差遣他的儿子，耶稣，来作我们的弥赛亚，我们的救主！
跟孤独症孩子打交道的人都渴望能进入他们的意识里，我们认为如果我们能看见他们看见的世界，听见他们听见的东西，以他们的角度经历到他们的生活，那么我们就能理解和帮助他们了． 上帝也有同样的问题．他做过的任何事情似乎都没能进入到我们的里面，诗篇１０３篇１３－１４节经文说到：＂父亲怎样怜恤他的儿女，耶和华也怎样怜恤敬畏他的人！ 因为他知道我们的本体，思念我们不过是尘土。上帝知道能完全进入到我们里面的唯一办法就是成为我们中的一员．因此，他差遣他的儿子， 他本有神的形像，不以自己与神同等为强夺的；反倒虚己，取了奴仆的形像，成为人的样式； 既有人的样子，就自己卑微，存心顺服，以至於死，且死在十字架上。（腓利比书２章６－８节Phillipians 2:6-8）. 作为一个人，耶稣能理解我们的软弱并且凭信心克服她们．当我们呼求他的帮助的时候，就不是朝着遥远的不能理解真实世界的上帝呼求，而是在向一个跟我们走同样的路，为同样的事情哭泣为同样的事情欢笑的上帝呼求，他跟我们一样，也为着这个世界的痛苦悲哀．耶稣理解孤独患者，耶稣知道你所遭受的一切痛苦，并且他有答案． 相信耶稣能帮助你解除痛苦，解决难题，无论是你孩子的孤独症还是其他任何你独自承担不起的重担，他都能帮助你，请记住：＂「神爱世人，甚至将他的独生子赐给他们，叫一切信他的，不至灭亡，反得永生＂ (约翰福音３章１６节John 3:16).

愿上帝大大地赐福于你，愿你得到能真正带给你平安、喜乐的生活．

注：没有任何比照是绝对完美的。同样将孤独症与我们定意不寻求上帝比照也不是完全的。得孤独症的人并不是自己选择要得的。这个比照不是要把孤独症与我们的精神状态等同，只是想帮助我们看到其实我们都处于孤独症患的苦境中，也希望这个比照能让渴望了解救恩的人真正认识到耶稣基督的救恩。