Communication Gap

Q: How would a person who has Asperger`s Syndrome and struggles with their disability, but at the same time is seeking God, fit in with salvation?

A: Thanks for your question. To tell you the truth, I had never heard of Asperger's Syndrome before now. After a little research I discovered what the disability is all about. According to the Mayo Clinic, "Asperger's syndrome is a developmental disorder that affects a child's ability to socialize and communicate effectively with others. Children with Asperger's syndrome typically exhibit social awkwardness and an all-absorbing interest in specific topics." I believe many Christians, myself included, have struggled or continue to struggle with the question of how a person who has difficulty communicating can respond to the salvation message. This can be especially difficult when it involves a child. Reconciling a loving and just God with the apparent inability of a child to recognize a need for salvation, much less having the ability respond to it, can raise many questions in our minds.

The Bible's silence when it comes to the salvation of children or the disabled has led to the creation of doctrines not supported by scripture like infant baptism among other things. I believe it is done in order to bridge the gap between the apparent silence of the Bible on the subject and our fears that we can't reconcile believing in a God of love who allows children and others no ability to respond to His offer of salvation in Christ. In Mark 7, there is the story of Jesus healing a man who was deaf and mute, a serious condition that obviously hindered this mans ability to communicate. "After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears. Then he spit and touched the man's tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, "Ephphatha!" (which means, "Be opened!" ). At this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly (Mark 7:33-35)." This story is an example of how we must remember that God can, will and does, communicate with those that we can't communicate with or who cannot communicate with us.

Remember what happened on the Day of Pentecost? "All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them ... When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language (Acts 2:4,6)." Here we have the greatest example of God's ability to communicate. The Holy Spirit used the disciples to speak to those in attendance despite the communication barrier that existed prior to the event. While this is not a case of a disabled child or a man who is deaf and mute, it is strong evidence that God can communicate with those we cannot. And after all, isn't it consistent with an all powerful God to be able to do so? There is a current example that may help answer this question as well.

Recently, it was reported that a Belgian man, Rom Houben, who came out of a coma after 23 years, could actually hear what was going on around him despite his inability to communicate. The Associated Press reports Houben as saying, "Just imagine. You hear, see, feel and think but no one can see that. You undergo things. You cannot participate in life." This could be a clue as to what goes on with those children with Asperger's Syndrome. The inability for a child with this disability to socialize and communicate doesn't mean that the child is not aware of what is going on. And the limitations of the child do not limit a limitless God. Those affected by Asperger's Syndrome, or any disease or disability, are suffering the unfortunate effects of living in a sin cursed world. But, be encouraged that a God who has overcome sin through dying on the cross can surely overcome a consequence of sin like the inability to communicate. We may not be able to bridge the communication gap with some, but God, who spoke the universe into creation, can do it.