A Tangible Way to Show Gratitude

Editorial by Stephen Lee

Ephphatha. Do you know that word? Many have never encountered it, though it rests quietly in the gospel of Mark. Spoken to a man in the first century who never caught the sound of a friend’s laughter or formed a single syllable in reply, it was nothing less than liberation. A lifetime of silence had shaped his world. No voices. No words. Only distance. When Jesus spoke that word, his silent universe opened. Sound flooded in. Speech unfurled. What had been locked in isolation suddenly stood alive with possibility, and Mark tells the story with the quiet clarity of someone who knows that a life has just been changed forever (Mark 7:32).

The church still receives that word as both gift and calling. Ephphatha asks us to let God open what we have allowed to close. It nudges us to pay attention to those who wait at the edges, often with more patience than we deserve. Ellen White captures the spirit of Jesus’ work with remarkable simplicity when she writes, “During His ministry, Jesus devoted more time to healing the sick than to preaching. His voice was the first sound that many had ever heard, His name the first word they had ever spoken, His face the first they had ever looked upon” (Gospel Workers, p. 43). These are not the details of a distant story. They tell us something essential about the way Christ moves toward people, especially those the world tends to overlook.

The realities around us show how necessary that spirit remains. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that nearly 27 percent of adults in the United States live with a disability. Among older adults, the number rises to almost half, according to a survey by the U.S. Census Bureau. Employment opportunities continue to lag, with only about 21 percent of adults with disabilities active in the labor force compared to more than 65 percent of those without disabilities, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. These numbers translate into real lives in our pews and classrooms, real families navigating challenges that compassionate congregations can help carry.

For this reason, our conference is choosing to lean in with purpose and humility. Churches across our territory are taking a fresh look at accessibility and cultivating ministries of friendship that grow out of genuine community rather than obligation. In an act of shared commitment, the conference’s gratitude offering this year has been designated to support individuals with disabilities in both our churches and our schools. It is a tangible way of saying that belonging is not optional in the body of Christ.

The word Jesus once spoke in a quiet corner of Galilee still echoes: “Be opened.” May it help us see that Christ continues His healing work through people willing to notice, to listen and to love with courage. And may it lead us into a future where every member of our community not only knows that they are included but that they are indispensable. If you feel compelled to continue the ministry of Jesus in this vital way, we invite you to join us by visiting njcsda.org/gratitude.

Stephen Lee is the president of the New Jersey Conference.