Religion & Spirituality
"What does the church bring to the table? We specialize in love and human kindness, manifested in Christ-like friendships."Previously on the podcast, Dr. John Swinton shared how stigma affects those struggling with their mental health. During this insightful conversation, he shared practical ways to love our neighbors well. This week, Dr. Swinton is returning to expand on how the body of Christ can create a community of belonging for those facing mental health challenges. He offers up new ways of seeing one another in which difference and disability are embraced as a valid way of being fully human and fully alive to the possibilities of God. Because when we view each person as a unique individual, rather than defining someone by their diagnosis, we can create an environment of friendship and belonging.“When Jesus, who is God, sits in the margins with those who are marginalized, the margins change.” Related Podcasts:Mental Health and Loving Our Neighbors WellWalking with God through SchizophreniaCaring for Someone with SchizophreniaA Response to DepressionDepression and Anxiety When Life is Going WellMental Illness and the ChurchOrder Finding Jesus in the Storm: The Spiritual Lives of Christians with Mental Health Challenges Questions or comments? Email Crystal at podcast@joniandfriends.orgSupport Joni and Friends to help make this podcast possible. Follow Joni and Friends on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. *Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Together, our mission is to glorify God as we communicate the Gospel and mobilize the global church to evangelize, disciple and serve people living with disability.Joni and Friends was founded in 1979 by Joni Eareckson Tada who in a diving accident was left a quadriplegic at 17 years old. Ministry began as Tada, joined by friends around her kitchen table, responded to letters she received from people with disabilities in search of support. For more than 40 years, the ministry has grown to serve thousands of people impacted by disability worldwide: delivering more than 191,000 wheelchairs and Bibles through Wheels for the World and provided Christian care to 64,000 special needs family members through Family Retreats. The organization also equips individuals and churches with disability ministry training and provides higher education courses through the Christian Institute on Disability. For more encouragement, download the Joni and Friends Radio Program podcast in English or Spanish, and view inspirational videos on the Joni and Friends website.www.joniandfriends.org*