There was laughter much laughter. There was waving,
table pounding, shoulder tapping, and laughter. There were puzzled
expressions, nods of understanding, excited recognitions, and
laughter much laughter. I'm describing the monthly "silent
supper" enjoyed by members of the sign language class at
my congregation.
The only thing silent about our supper is our
voices. When we enter the restaurant, just as when we enter class,
we turn off our voices and rely on our ASL (American Sign Language)
skills and miming abilities to communicate. We have the BEST time!
We are fortunate to have deaf members within our
congregation, along with several very accomplished interpreters.
For over a year now, these ladies have worked with our group for
one hour every Sunday evening before services to study and practice
communicating in ASL. In addition to learning a valuable skill,
we have also enjoyed each other's fellowship, and we now share
a special bond forged by the experiences we've encountered. Most
important, we're becoming better prepared to fulfill God's command
to go and proclaim the gospel as recorded in Mark 16:15.
We have a great mission field right here in our
own backyards. More than 15 million people in the United States
have a hearing loss of some degree. [1] Nearly 2 million people
in the United States are considered deaf. [2] American Sign Language
is the fourth most commonly used language in the United States,
after English, Spanish, and Italian. [3]
Our Lord's command to go and proclaim the gospel
applies to all mankind not just those who can hear. There is no
exclusionary clause for the deaf included in verses we know and
quote so easily: Romans 3:23 - all men sin. Romans 6:23 the wages
of sin is death. The plan of salvation applies to all people (deaf
included). The path to destruction (Matthew 7:13) is just as wide
for the deaf as for the hearing.
Can you teach a deaf friend what he or she must
do to be saved? Can you encourage a deaf brother or sister to
remain strong and faithful? Can our deaf brothers and sisters
enjoy the uplifting that worship and fellowship provides us? Using
and understanding ASL provides the ability to communicate with
many, many lost souls, and it also allows the opportunity to exhort
and fellowship with our deaf brothers and sisters. Ministering
to the deaf community is a wonderful work and an outreach that
is often overlooked.
[1], [2], [3] Signing for Kids, Mickey
Flodin, 1991, p. 9. kleverson@aol.com
(Note: Kimberly and her husband, Mark, worship
with the Central Church of Christ in Martinsburg, WV where Mark
serves as an elder. They have 2 sons, Joshua (18) and Jeremy (15).
In addition to being an elder's wife, and caring for her home
and family, Kimberly has taught children's and Ladies' Bible classes,
works with the Bear Program, and has started interpreting worship
services. She also works full-time as an analyst with the Internal
Revenue Service in Martinsburg.)