Biodiversity and Neurodiversity
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow... (Matthew 6:28) I have always loved nature. It is my happy place. Just as ecosystems thrive with a variety of animal and plant life, so too does the human ecosystem thrive with different brain types. We can learn much from this, and from the views of Indigenous cultures. The purely medical view may have its place and may help some, but this deeper view is frankly beautiful— just like nature itself. In Māori, autism is called Takiwātanga—moving in one's own natural rhythm and time. In Aboriginal culture, it is Dadirri—deep, inner listening to the land and spirit. The Navajo have the term Hózhó—a unique thread in the natural harmony of the universe. In biblical and spiritual reflections, patterns of seeing shells or leaves mirror the recognition of the logic of the Creator. Through a high sensitivity to wind, light, and sound, a quiet soul remains receptive to the still, small voice. In social spaces, a preference for the company of animals and nature reflects finding God in the wilderness over the temple. Among the Pennsylvania Dutch, an autistic child may be called Gotteskind—noting innocence and divine design. In German and Dutch traditions, the term Sonderbar captures a sense of the particular and quirky rather than anything negative. Within Amish faith, the description still honors the quieter, more reserved nature of those who are less verbal. In the Quaker tradition, the Inner Light is seen as a natural, organic part of the soul that requires quiet ground to grow. Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow... (Matthew 6:28) - DTH -