ON THE OCCASION OF JOEY'S BAPTISM

[Joey’s Catholic grandmother wanted him to be baptized. I wrote the following for the congregation that witnessed the ceremony]

Our son was born 25 years ago with pervasive developmental disorder, a spectrum that includes autism and cognitive disability. And while he is over six feet tall, he reasons and communicates like a child – and always will. He knows Santa fills the stockings on Christmas morning and, when he saw the Flat Iron Mountains above Boulder shrouded in clouds, he was alarmed they were melting.

In preparation for this tradition, last night I asked Joey, “Who is God?”…”Don’t know”, he answered. Then I asked, “Do you know where He lives?”…again, “Don’t know”. Joey never wastes a word. I could not repress a smile. Joey’s view of the world often amuses me, but later something occurred to me after the humor passed - my own answers to these questions are the same as his –“I don’t know”.

Joey joins your church community today without the baggage of deep intellectual reasoning. He can teach you some things about service and friendship that are difficult for more educated persons to grasp. He loves the candles and the bells and he loves to give the peace sign to everyone.

Joey does not lie. Joey would not hurt a fly. Indeed, I once witnessed him stopping in his tracks when he thought he might step on bug. He is not discontent. He lives a simple life and loves to be of service. He is happiest when he is helping. Though I haven’t been able to teach him to talk a lot, he has taught me to listen more.

His tastes are simple. He likes pretty girls, macaroni and cheese and cokes. He is trusting and transparent. He feels others pain and, like the lilies of the field, he takes no thought for the morrow.

He may comprehend things you and I cannot understand. He has, after all, lived his life in a state of innocence. Perhaps in matters of faith and trust, it is we, not he, who are handicapped.

I am sure Joey is already accepted into God’s kingdom and I know he is pleased to be accepted into this church community.