International (MNN) — A Deaf visitor to your home probably views the Bible on your coffee table much differently than you do.
Through an interpreter, DOOR International’s Deaf leader Mark Sorenson explains, “A lot of times, Deaf people will look at a spoken textual language Bible, and that creates a hearing God for them because they don’t have a way to communicate or to access God and His Word in their own language.”
DOOR International connects the Deaf to Jesus through sign language Bible translation and Deaf-led church planting. More about that here.
“When I go to conferences and present to an audience, a lot of the times people don’t realize what a need the Deaf community has – 70 million Deaf people in the world, and less than two percent of them know Christ,” Sorenson says.
“The Deaf population globally is one of the most unreached people groups.”
(Graphic courtesy of DOOR International)
English, or any other spoken language, is a second language for people born Deaf. More about that here. When a Deaf person sees God’s Word in their heart sign language, it changes their life.
“Deaf people [see] that [they] can actually connect to God in their heart language and realize that God is for them, too,” Sorenson says.
There are enough barriers already between the Deaf and hearing communities. You can remove some of those barriers by learning more about the Deaf and their spiritual needs. Start the process by exploring DOOR’s website.
“People don’t seem to know that the Deaf have their own cultures and language,” Sorenson says.
“When we take the medical perspective that they need to be fixed, we are stripping them of that identity and the opportunity to be Deaf and learn sign language, interact in the Deaf community.”
Header and story images courtesy of DOOR International.
