Resilient, Creative and Determined

It’s Christmas Eve… Channel 4’s Alternative Christmas Message this year will be delivered by Chris McCausland. The blind comedian who recently won Strictly Come Dancing reflects on disability and discrimination…

…Regarding mince pies ‘I will never discriminate against any sort of mince pie, all of them are equal to me…’

…his application to be an MI5 spy ‘they decided no, a blind spy wasn’t what they were looking for… I think sometimes discrimination can be vital for the safety of the nation…’

McCausland also said: ‘Disabled people are often some of the most resilient, creative and determined people you will ever likely meet. We have to be in daily life and that makes us valuable people to have on the team…’

Yesterday at the Seagull Theatre I watched ‘Santa and the Magical Snow Globe’, a Christmas show for young children. The theatre was full. There was laughter, audience participation, singing and good Christmas entertainment.

The show starred Buddy, Santa, Shine, Sparkle and Rudolph; I know them as Josh, Thom, Sian, Cerys and Emily. Josh wrote the show earlier this year. All of them have been teaching drama, dance and singing classes right to the end of term They’ve also been significantly involved in other Christmas shows – directing and performing.

Resilient, creative and determined? I think they’ve already performed this show fourteen times and have two more performances today.

In the Christmas narrative… Joseph and his fiancé’s unplanned pregnancy… Mary, ‘great with child’, travelling 70+ miles to Bethlehem… no room in the inn, baby is born, placed in a manger… entertaining shepherds and wise men… fleeing for their lives to Egypt. Resilient, creative and determined? Certainly!

And me…?

…Resilient, creative and determined? In my response to disability or discrimination… in my community involvement… in my response to the Christmas narrative?

…‘But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.’ This wasn’t a young woman passively accepting the inevitable. Her response to tough life experiences is an example to me… resilient, creative and determined.