I had an ear-opening experience recently that resulted in my eyes being opened to a group of people that I've not had contact with previously. The director of Silent Blessings Deaf Ministry shared how deaf people do not get the same kind of spiritual exposure that the rest of us often take for granted.

Reverend Marshall Lawrence is a musician who has written songs for Sandy Patty, as well as writing theatrical musicals. When it was discovered that his daughter was deaf, he felt called to change the direction of his ministry, and minister to the deaf.

It was interesting to learn that closed caption television does little to actually communicate to the deaf. Often the words do not correlate with the action that is taking place because the words come across the screen either quick, or slow. If animation is involved, it is very hard for deaf people to read the lips of, say, a talking cucumber, animal, etc.

The goal of Silent Blessings is to produce a television show that will teach children about Jesus, tell children all the stories that Jesus told, and teach them morals in a fun way that will captivate their interest. Isn't that what Christians desire for all children? Yet deaf children have very few resources available that expose them to the Gospel story.

I learned that deaf people have few opportunities to learn and share Christian experiences. I'm not sure what the answer is at this point, but I'm sure that with all the churches in this area there is a better way to open the doors to make the Christian experience more accessible. It takes more than just an interpreter signing the service for them. It takes people willing to learn the language, to share in fellowship, to talk with them just like we talk to each other on Sunday morning. I pray that somehow this begins to happen as there is a huge community right in our midst that desire the things we take for granted.