Neurodivergent Christians Coloring Outside the Lines
....what do we do with them?
He zoomed in on me like a scientist.
I could clearly see that he was different, but his joy negated any discomfort I had. “What version of the Bible do you have?” Thank God we’d come early because that turned into a 10 minute discussion! It left him feeling loved and me wanting to buy at least 3 more translations…
I’m by no means an expert in neurodivergence, autism, or ADD; but I’m fascinated by the amazing people God has led into my office (for other purposes). It was a blessing: I helped them; they educated me. They would present for anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, relationship problems. The Holy Spirit had me peeling back the layers like a surgeon, getting to the core identity, embracing it…But even beyond that: repurposing it!
—Treating outside my scope of competence? Possibly. Ooooh—that’s an ethical violation, isn’t it? “Someone report her to the Board!” (I assure you, I referred them to additional resources).
Yeah. This blog today is NOT really about neurodivergent individuals or even ethics:
It’s the fact that nobody likes to talk about how God is in the “grey”…
You know God colors outside the lines, right? He always pushes our boundaries. And now He’s doing it warp speed . Wake up. Hang on, or get left behind in your cozy comfortable little tradition!
I think I’m a little neurodivergent. I had a brilliant GED-holding Dad who read science books for fun. Napkins weren’t for anything else but calculations or drawings for his inventions. Me? I’ve been forgetful since the day I was born. I’m a living breathing “Mr. Bean”. I have fabulous stories and ideas, but I can’t hang curtains—and I break things. (Ask my husband!) And I some of my great downloads come in inopportune times, like this blog, at 3:45 a.m., when I have both a deadline and important meeting tomorrow!
But Oh, the Joy! Such Joy! The Holy Spirit wakes me up. He doesn’t mind my neurodivergence…
God created me to color outside the lines.
The Church has to get over conformity….That Beast must go!
I love how “The Chosen” writers characterized Matthew: odd, quirky, brilliant, but necessary.
Christians by design all neurodivergent. Our brains are transformed, repurposed to diverge from “normal”.
So excuse me, doctrine: That man can still be a minister even thought he’s an ex-con. Excuse me, doctrine: She can preach. Excuse me, doctrine: He can be an elder even though he’s divorced, when his wife left him. Excuse me, leadership: Let that savant kid teach a class on Bible translations! Hey church administration: Oh, you don’t like that impulsive, funny, mouth guy with a history? Afraid what he’ll say? Give him the nod, say “we love you”, but nothing else? NO! Send him fishing with that troubled teen or the new addict that just walked it.
—You see her: She’s sitting there in the pew with a sweatshirt covering the scars on her arms (you know she has). She’s fidgety, doodling, not listening? But she’s sketching an amazing design for the Lord. Hey church staff: Why is she not teaching a class on prophetic art?
The reason God is shaking the church is because the walls of conformity and tradition must come down.
We need to be truly neurodivergent to push past all boundaries, to grow the Kingdom.
Anime for Christ? Let’s do it! Run from AI, or take authority and repurpose it! Fund those who are creatively ministering to LGBT? Send some of your missions funds to that “radical” Sean Feucht, or help fund a House of Prayer? Let your little girls do prophetic dance in the park?
Gaylord Enns, in his book “The Love Revolution—Rediscovering the Lost Command of Jesus” (2011) said that Jesus had two new commands: 1. Believe in the Lord God, accepting Him. 2. Love one another.
God is love. Love is in the Grey. He’s always repurposing the grey for His Glory…Go and do likewise.
…Because Jesus COMMANDED IT!
ROMANS 12 (BOOM!), HEBREWS 13:1-3