The third weekly reflection based on our Lent course “The Mystery of Everything”. 

If you read Stephen Hawking’s autobiographical work, My Brief History, he speaks very little about marriage and family or his illness. It is noticeable that he gives his ex-wife Jane no credit whatsoever for the personal care she gave him over many years of marriage. One wonders whether he needed to avoid acknowledging the reality of his physical dependency so as to keep his dignity intact. For someone with a proud and independent spirit, it must have felt somewhat demeaning to see himself wearing a label saying disabled, or just a man in a wheelchair. 

Jane Hawking’s perspective is somewhat different. She married Stephen with the expectation that life would be short, yet 20 years later he was still very much alive. She explains it in this way: 

Intellectually Stephen was a towering giant who always insisted on his own infallibility and to whose genius I would always defer; bodily he was as helpless as either of the children had been when new-born. The functions I fulfilled for him were all those of a mother looking after a small child. 

Jesus taught us that every individual deserves dignity and respect because we are each made in the image of God, fully loved and fully known by Him. By surrendering our lives to God, rather than believing in our own strength and achievements, we receive a dignity and value that does not come at the expense of robbing others of theirs. Most of us at some point in our lives feel undervalued, overlooked or simply vulnerable through illness or for some other reason. A kind word, gesture of appreciation or encouragement from someone can make all the difference. This week, instead of giving up chocolate or wine, let’s pass on some of that love and dignity shown to us. 

Fiona Jack