Jonny is a Navigator who works with adults with additional needs and their families. He reflects on what people with learning disabilities and mental health challenges can teach us about peace. This is part of our series on the fruit of the Spirit (featuring artwork by Daniel White).

In my role with the Navigators, I make disciples among people with additional needs in our city. This often involves our team visiting residential-care settings for people with learning disabilities and mental-health issues. We make friends, share stories of God’s love, and set up small regular ‘church groups’ in the residences.  

This year we have been focusing on the fruit of the Spirit. We’ve been asking whether Jesus can help us to change our negative behaviour, habits and addictions? And can Jesus help make us calm, joyful and generous people? 

The fruit of the Spirit ‘peace’ is something that the residents crave more than any other. Many of them have chaotic and unpredictable thoughts. They can struggle to regulate their emotions. They sometimes feel overwhelmed by a maelstrom of emotions whirling inside them. This can lead to emotional dysregulation, resulting in a meltdown or shutdown. 

Because these residents live in such close proximity, any negative behaviour impacts everybody. Sometimes it’s rudeness or name calling, but it can be more serious behaviour like stealing, being aggressive or causing damage. However, they regularly hold each other to account for any bad behaviour, saying something like this: ‘Sam, when you were shouting and swearing earlier it made everyone upset. You need to say sorry to us and to all the staff who were trying to help you.’ They’re not condemning each other; they are, in no uncertain terms, holding each other to a higher standard of love. It’s one of the best demonstrations of Christian fellowship I’ve ever seen. 

Reading with all our senses  

The residents have taught me to read the Bible differently. Because of their learning disabilities, the residents often find it easier to learn through what they can see, touch and taste than through abstract concepts. 

The story of Jesus calming the storm has been key for us. As we have told the story together, we have noticed that Jesus is peaceful and powerful.   

Holding the edge of a big blue blanket, we enthusiastically bounce a little toy boat up into the air (accompanied by hysterical laughter). And as we suddenly hold the blanket still we sing a simple tune to the words of ‘Peace! Be still!’, to help the story’s key moment to stick in our minds. 

Meeting Peaceful Jesus, Powerful Jesus 

We talked together about the difference it makes to have Jesus with us every day. Peaceful Jesus. A non-anxious presence right there in the middle of the storm. He reminds us that he is with us. And he helps us to stay calm. 

As the waves are crashing over their boat, Jesus is sleeping. Jesus isn’t worried. He isn’t panicking. Even though everyone around him is stressed, Jesus isn’t stressed. He is a non-anxious, peaceful presence. 

But Jesus is also powerful. He stands up and tells the storm, ‘Peace! Be still!’ and straight away the storm stops and the sea becomes calm. 

And so we pray together that when we feel the wind and waves are building and becoming overwhelming, that Powerful Jesus would speak into the storm, ‘Peace! Be still!’ and bring a great calm. 

Seeing peace at work

It’s been wonderful to see that God has indeed been at work among these residents. One lady (who we baptised last year) has been in 25 different residential-care placements over the last 18 years. This means she’s had to move more than once per year for her whole adult life! Placements have broken down largely because she struggles to regulate her emotions and would regularly shout, be aggressive, and damage property. But we recently celebrated that she’s been settled in this current residence for 3 years and is going strong. 

She is not perfect and still has struggles. But Peaceful Jesus is making a difference deep in her heart, and Powerful Jesus is helping calm the storms in her behaviour.  

Yet the residents are teaching us something too. They pray as though Jesus really is in the boat with us. When we pray together, they pray with authority, faith and a complete absence of cynicism. When was the last time you confidently prayed for world peace? These friends simply ask God for it every day. 

Watching them, I’m reminded that peace isn’t found in a life without storms. Many of these residents face challenges most of us would struggle to imagine. Yet they keep looking to Jesus. They trust him to be present in the boat, and they trust him to bring peace into situations that seem beyond fixing. I think that’s what the fruit of peace looks like.