I am comfortable with my disability, not seeking healing

December 3 was the International Day for the Disabled although Uganda decided to hold its national celebrations on December 9.

As we celebrate the achievements of the disability movement and discuss the numerous challenges persons with disabilities are still facing in our country, I thought it necessary to write about the common phenomenon of “healing miracles” in pentecostal churches.

First it is important to point out that I am totally blind having lost my sight at an early age in life and that I am a firm Christian believer that appreciates and embraces Christianity principles as exposed by the Holy Bible.

I, however, think that it is necessary to correct the perception held by many Christians and pastors about what persons with disabilities seek for from their Churches.

Both Christians and pastors believe that every person with a disability who comes to Church has come for a healing miracle.

It always begins with the usher’s at the entrance who welcomes you and straight away request to take you to “prayer or patients’ room” where the pastor would be able to pray for you before delivering his/her summon to the waiting congregation.

After explaining for long that you have come to pray like any other person, they reluctantly let you in albeit with disappointment and not without informing you that the “man of God” has power to bring back your sight only if you believe and giving you many examples of the great miracles he has performed.

When you have successfully beat this challenge, next comes the congregation at the time when the pastor calls out to the church attendants with problems to come forward for individual prayers.

At this time every person seated close to me offers a hand to bring me to the front. “Come; let the man of God touch you.

I am sure you will regain your sight.” In some instances, some people have reached out to the pastor so that he comes to my seat and pray for me.

Well, many have come and prayed for me but I am still as blind as ever but that is not the subject of today’s article.

My dear pastors and born again Christians, I know that miracles were a central approach of Jesus’s preaching.

Yes he healed the blind man (Bathremew) and he even raised the dead (Lazarus). The miracles continued even with His departure with disciples such as Paul making a physically disabled man to walk.

Before writing this article I decided to read many stories of healing miracles in the Bible to understand where the pastors and Christians may be getting it wrong.

I found that in all miracle stories in the Bible, it is the person with disability who requested for the healing and never did Jesus or the disciples just approach the person with disability to heal him on their own accord.