नेपालमा पहिलो पटक “परमेश्वरको राज्य र अपाङ्गता” विषयक कार्यक्रम आयोजित

ललितपुर, असोज ३१, बिदुर अधिकारी,

नेपाल ख्रीष्टिय अपाङ्गता सञ्जाल (Nepal Christian Disability Network) ले Joni and Friends नामक संस्थासँगको सहकार्यमा ललितपुर नख्खुदोबाटो स्थित बेखाज पार्टी प्यालेसमा परमेश्वरको राज्य र अपाङ्गता विषयक परिचयात्मक कार्यक्रम अायोजना गर्यो ।

सुन्दरढोका साथीसेवा नेपालका अध्यक्ष पा. कोष विलास अधिकारीले सुरूआती प्रार्थना गर्नुभई अाैपचारिक उद्घाटन गर्नुभएको र विजेता लुइटेल अधिकारीले कुशलतापूर्वक सञ्चालन गर्नुभएको उक्त कार्यक्रममा अपाङ्ग बालबालिकाहरूले ह्विलचेयर नृत्य तथा दृष्टिविहीन तबिथाले सुमधुर गीत प्रस्तुत गर्नुभएको थियो ।

नेपाल ख्रीष्टिय अपाङ्गता सञ्जाल सदस्य वीर नेपालीले स्वागत मन्तव्य दिनुहुँदै उक्त सञ्जालको बारेमा संक्षिप्त जानकारी समेत प्रस्तुत गर्नुभयो ।

नेपालमा रहेका शारीरिक तथा मानिसक र अपाङ्गता भएका व्यक्तिहरूका निम्ति नेपाली चर्च तथा प्याराचर्चहरूको भूमिका र दायित्व के हुनुपर्छ, अपाङ्गता भएका व्यक्तिहरूका बारेमा परमेश्वरको हृदयमा के छ, तथा समग्रमा यस विषयमा बाइबलीय धारणा र विश्वदृष्टि के हो भन्ने विषयलाई जोनी एण्ड फ्रेण्ड्स संस्थाको प्रतिनिधित्व गर्दै अमेरिकाबाट आउनुभएका सहजकर्ताहरू जोन, स्टिव बुण्डी र बेन्जामिनले प्रकाश पार्नुभएको थियो । लूका १४ अध्यायको विराट भोजको प्रसङ्ग, यूहन्ना ९ अध्यायको दृष्टिविहीन मानिसलाई येशूले दृष्टि दिनुभएको सन्दर्भ आदिको अर्थ खुलाउनुहुँदै, जसरी तात्कालीन् समाजका धार्मिक अगुवाहरूले धर्मशास्त्र र परमेश्वरको हृदयलाई उल्टो बुझेका थिए, के आज हामी पनि अपाङ्ग व्यक्तिहरूलाई अशिष् अनि परमेश्वरको प्रेम प्रदर्शन गर्ने अवसरको रूपमा भन्दा पनि बोझको रूपमा त लिइरहेका छैनौँ भनी चुनौती दिनुभयो । उहाँहरूको प्रस्तुतिलाई विदुर अधिकारीको नेपालीमा अनुवाद गरी सहायता गर्नुभएको थियो ।

विभिन्न चर्चका पाष्टर अगुवाहरू, अपाङ्ग व्यक्तिहरूका माझमा सेवा गर्ने संघसंस्थाका प्रतिनिधिहरू गरी दुई सय पचास जनाको सहभागिता रहेको उक्त कायक्रममा नेपाल ख्रीष्टियन समाजका महासचिव पा. डिल्ली पौडेल शुभकामना मन्तव्य दिनुहुँदै बाइबलमा कमजोर अशक्त व्यक्तिहरू जस्तै कि मोशादेखि लिएर पावलसम्ममा कुनै न कुनै शारीरिक कमीकमजोरि रहेको भएतापनि परमेश्वरले उनीहरूलाई प्रयोग गरेर महान् कार्यहरू गर्नुभएको छ, शारीरिक रूपमा सपाङ्ग भएर पनि आज धेरै जना मानसिक र आत्मिक रूपमा अपाङ्ग नै छन्, कमजोर व्यक्ति मै परमेश्वरले बढी क्षमता राखिदिनुभएको, छ यसकारण निराश हुनुपर्दैन भनी उत्साह दिनुभयो ।

राष्ट्रिय ख्रीष्टिय महासंघका अध्यक्ष सिबि गहतराजले महासंघले अब अपाङ्ता विभाग नै स्थापना गर्ने आफ्नो मातहतका सबै चर्चमा यस सम्बन्धी जानकारी दिने प्रतिबद्धता व्यक्त गर्नुहुँदै, समावेशी चर्च बन्ने हो भने अपाङ्ता मैत्री बन्नुपर्ने कुरा बताउनु भयो ।

कार्यक्रमको अन्त्यमा, कार्यक्रमका सभापति विकाश अधिकारीले सबै चर्च र अगुवाहरूलाई अपाङ्गता भएका व्यक्तिहरूलाई सेवा पुर्याउने विषयमा अब सबैले सहकार्य गर्नुपर्ने समय आएको छ भन्नुहुँदै हातेमालो गरी बढ्न आह्वान गर्नुभयो ।

नेपालमा यस्तो प्रकारको शिक्षा वा यो तरिकाले यस विषयमा विचार गर्ने काम नितान्त नैलो रहेको अनुभव र प्रतिकृया सहभागीहरूको रहेको थियो । अब चर्च भवन तथा कुनै पनि सार्वजनिक स्थल बनाउँदा अपाङ्गता भएका मानिसहरूको खाँचो र सुविधालाई पनि उत्तिकै ध्यान दिई निर्माण गर्नुपर्ने, अपाङ्गतालाई उक्त व्यक्तिको कुनै पाप वा दोष वा उसका आमाबुबाको दोषको परिणामको रूपमा नभई परमेश्वरको महिमा उसको जीवनमा अश्चर्यकर्मद्वारा वा उसलाई समुदायले देखाउने व्यवहारद्वारा प्रकट गर्ने अवसरको रूपमा लिनुपर्ने देखिन्छ ।

Introductory Seminar on “Kingdom of God and Disability”

On October 16, Nepal Christian Disability Network, currently chaired by Bikash Adhikari of Sundar Dhoka Saathi Sewa, organized a seminar on “Kingdom of God and Disability”. The half day seminar was facilitated by three representatives from Joni and Friends, California, USA. It was an introductory programme to sensitize Nepali churches, leaders, and parachurches on the important but oft neglected issue of how the church as the body of Christ should respond and engage those with various disabilities.

 

Ps. Kosh Bilash Adhikari led in the opening prayer, and Mrs. Bijata Luitel emceed the programee. Children with disability performed wheel chair dance and Tabitha who is blind sang a sweet song in the course of the seminar.

 

Another important achievement was: Leaders from various parachurch organizations came together.  Chair of Federation of National Christians Nepal (FNCN) Mr CB Gahatraj promised to set up a disability department within FNCN and also to rally churches in his network to be disability friendly.

Similarly, General Secretary of Nepal Christian Society Ps Dilli Paudel encouraged all the attendees, reminding them that God has used people with various shortcomings, whether it be Moses who had speech problem or Paul who had some sort of may be eyesight problem.

Bir Nepali from Nepal Christian Disability Network gave the welcome speech and then introduced the network, its member organizations and its vision to support people with disability.

 

Then John from Joni and Friends introduced the team, briefly touched upon Joni Eareckson Tada’s accident which caused paralysis to her entire body from the neck below, and how she gained hope and Joni and Friends came into existence to help others suffering from various disabilities.

 

Then Steve shared stories from Africa, his own son’s multiple disabilities condition, and then exposited on how Jesus viewed the Kingdom of God entirely differently from how the religious leaders of his day interpreted it. He exegeted from Luke 14- the Parable of the Wedding Banquet, and drove home the lesson that people with disability are not some burden but part of the body of Christ. Without their service, and service to them, the church remains incomplete, he explained.

Benjamin brought yet another illumination on John 9 where Jesus restores sight to the blind beggar whose identity is based on the negative- on the fact that he is blind. He explained that the man was born blind- not because his parents or himself had committed any crime, but so that the glory of God may be reveled on him.  The glory was to be revealed not only in his miraculous gaining of eyesight, but in the very approach and attitude and behavior shown him by the disciple of Jesus- but sadly, they failed to show any empathy.

The team also mentioned “Beyond Suffering” curriculum as a good resource book for any one who wants to minister among people with disability.

 

Bidur Adhikari helped with the interpretation, and the participants admitted they had not considered the issue that way. Bikash Adhikari, chair of the program concluded with invitation to the leaders to come together for serving the part of the body, and challenged them to start making church facilities disability friendly.

Many seemed convicted, as was FNCN chairperson, and showed interest in being trained about working with such people. It was the first program of its kind, and the issue was not taken so seriously. But now we have no excuse, but to be open, welcoming and accommodating to people with disabilities.

As for me personally, as then one who had helped translate the power points and gone through some revision and editing, it came as a challenge to do something. In fact, last Saturday at church service I was scheduled to preach, and what more relevant issue for me than to share to the church that it takes all kinds of people to make the church a complete body, and that the church is not meant to calculate for profit and loss like other entities, but to see marginalized and vulnerable people as opportunity to show God’s love and grace, not as burdens.