Why do I care about this month? Let’s plunge into the Deeper Waters and find out.
I hate it when June comes around. It’s a time when we try to celebrate what I consider perversion, as if it’s not forced down my throat the rest of the year. I notice when black history month rolls around or women’s history month or any other month by a group that is deemed politically relevant, everyone tries to speak at that time. Everyone wants to virtue signal.
April, I get crickets.
Now don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to be a political pawn. I don’t want people to acknowledge this month just because they’re trying to show how virtuous they are without the substance. I despise fake.
I’m also not at all wanting to call this a pride month. Being on the spectrum is not an accomplishment in itself. Now what I do in overcoming the hurdles, that can be an accomplishment, but the fact I have a condition doesn’t make me automatically special.
What I do consider it is a chance to invite others into my own world and let them know what it’s like. I recall a time a friend contacted me when he found out his son was on the spectrum. Everyone else he talked to treated it like a cancer diagnosis. I told him to be thankful immediately. He was going to see the world through a whole new set of ideas he had never seen before.
What a shock that that was the best word that he heard and it has proven to be true.
This month can be special because people do realize that some of us are different. Some of us do have extra hurdles to overcome. We don’t want to be babied as we overcome them, but we welcome those who come alongside us and help us on the journey.
I’m a gamer. You know that. I think of having a party in a quest. In Final Fantasy XIV, as an example, when you go into a dungeon, you have your tank. This is the guy who takes all the hard hits and draws the attention of the enemies. Then you have the healers. These are the ones who keep the tank and everyone else alive. Finally, you have the damage dealers. These are the ones who defeat the enemies for the most part.
A party without one of these units will not survive. A party all one type of unit will not survive. You need a full party. You need everyone to do their part. I have my part I can do, but I’m thrilled to have other people join me who have strengths where I am weak.
That’s why I prefer the term awareness. It’s just saying to notice that some people are different, and that’s okay. I realize not everyone is high-functioning. That’s also okay. I do have a gift in that way in that I can speak for others. I’m glad to do it.
Also, keep in mind that sadly a lot of people on the spectrum are atheists and agnostics because so much Christian language is hard to relate to and abstract concepts can be hard to think about. Please keep this in mind. Pray for the Autism community. We need Jesus just as much as the neurotypicals do.
In Christ,
Nick Peters
(And I affirm the virgin birth)
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