Bruce Wydick

I was curious about how Jesus allotted his time on earth-and what Christians could learn from it. What is God's heart? What does he value? What relative importance does he place on the different facets of our flourishing? He certainly cares for our spiritual lives, but what of our physical health, our social connectedness to our communities, our mental health, our economic welfare?

1 Introduction The World Health Organization (2023b) estimates that approximately 1.3 billion people worldwide experience a significant disability, representing 16% of the global population. Due to higher congenital risk factors, disability is more prevalent among the global poor. According to the World Health Organization (2023a), nine out of 10 children born with a congenital disorder are in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

The political polarization of American society, impossible to ignore on Election Day, cuts across state lines, through families, and even into local congregations. Polarized America has polarized the American church. The average American Christian can't do much to reduce that polarization on the national scale. Yet Christians should be able to reduce polarization-induced tensions within the body of Christ. Understanding the causes and consequences of this division can help us move toward cures.