Theology, Disability, and Spiritual Transformation: Learning from ...

transforming grace and liberation. Jean Vanier, the founder of the L’Arche movement, has articulated the meaning of growth in terms of covenant relationship with the God of love hidden in the weakness and poverty of persons with disabilities. The genius of L’Arche is its celebration of the mysterious gift of persons who are otherwise marginalized and rejected in societies that are obsessed with strength, competition, efficiency, and productivity. That gift is the capacity to reveal to those who live with them the qualities of the heart that make for a more authentically human existence: vulnerability, fragility, tenderness, forgiveness, and celebration.

Spiritual transformation takes place in L’Arche through relationships with persons who have learning disabilities. In the language of L’Arche, these are described as “relationships of the heart,” in which priority is given to simply “being with” in a mutual sharing of life and love rather than only “doing for” in the framework of ministry or social service. Emphasis is given to relationships of equality, mutuality, and reciprocity in which love is given and received in a way that transcends the roles of caregiver and cared for. More important than the transcendence of roles is the dropping of barriers and defense mechanisms that normally enter into human relationships. By entering thus into communion with others and creating homes in which the weakest persons are held at the center, those who come to live in L’Arche communities as assistants experience a process of self-discovery and healing that clearly results in deep transformations of their own personality. Having witnessed, supported, and studied this transformation as a leader of a L’Arche community for a number of years, I have seen three sets of issues arise concerning the nature of ongoing transformation that is taking place within these individuals.

The first set of questions concerns how to understand the phenomenology of this experience of transformation. In order to address these questions, more basic and orienting perspectives are necessary on the meaning of spirituality and transformation as human experiences. With greater clarity on these matters, it is then possible to pursue a specific example of spiritual transformation, such as that found in the context of L’Arche. Here is the main question: What do assistants actually experience in their relationships with the core members of L’Arche, and in what sense is this