Disrupting the Norms That Govern Recognition

There are conversations that feel like moving onto steady ground—comforting, relaxed, and affirming. Then there are conversations that feel more like moving onto sacred ground—holy, creative, and life altering.This is one of those.In this episode of the Well Dwellers Podcast, I sit down with Keith Dow for a dialogue that moves us beyond tidy theology and into the messy, beautiful, and often disruptive realities of being human together. This is not a conversation about disability from a distance. It is a conversation shaped by proximity—by shared life, mutual care, and what Keith calls the undeniable truth that “we were shaped and changed by each other… they represented God to me… and I represented God to them.”Together, we wrestle with what it means to be made in the image of God—not as an abstract doctrine, but as something encountered in hospital rooms, in moments of fear and vulnerability, and in relationships that refuse to fit our categories. Keith names this tension honestly: “We often don’t understand ourselves… let alone those around us… so what is the ethical disposition?”And maybe that’s where this conversation begins—not with certainty, but with posture.A posture of curiosity.A posture of mutuality.A posture that dares to believe, as we explore together, that “true care is mutual care.”Throughout this episode, we explore:* How disability disrupts the “norms that govern recognition” and reveals deeper truths about humanity* Why the church’s obsession with efficiency, productivity, and cognitive ability may be silencing the very voices we need most* How art, culture, and embodied experience open new ways of encountering God beyond words* And what it might look like to become communities where, in my own words, “dignity is not conditional… and interdependence is holy.”There are moments in this conversation that feel like wrestling—like Jacob in the night—where theology is no longer clean or controlled, but lived, felt, and risked. Keith describes one such moment as “this picture of wrestling… trying to protect… and trying to understand… a desire to connect… to make sense of the world together.”And maybe that’s the invitation for all of us.To move beyond theology as information…Into theology as encounter.Into lives where vulnerability is not weakness—but wisdom.So wherever you find yourself today—whether in certainty or in questions, in strength or in limitation—I invite you to lean in.Because this conversation might just change how you see others……and how you see God.Welcome to the bottom of the well.Thanks for listening & watching the Well Dwellers Podcast! This post is public so feel free to share it.Chapters:00:31 An Invitation Into Sacred Ground10:12 Discovering A Heart Of Mutual Care21:17 Disrupting Postures Of Holiness27:17 Disrupting The Norms Of Discipleship33:56 Disrupting The Norms Of Culture40:40 Banquet Of Belonging44:25 ClosingResources:Keith Dow’s Website: https://keithdow.com/Images of God: https://imagesofgod.ca/Disability and Faith: https://disabilityandfaith.org/author/kdow/Cross Training Theology & Psychology: https://crosstrainingpsychologyandtheology.com/researcher/keith-dow/Formed Together: Mystery, Narrative, and Virtue in Christian Caregiving By Keith Dow: Available HEREDeeper Communion Seeing The Kingdom Together: https://adeepercommunion.org/At The Bottom Of The Well is a reader & listener-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Upcoming Events: Get full access to At The Bottom Of The Well at www.atthebottomofthewell.com/subscribe