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A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Ann Memmott. Ann is a national and international adviser on autism, and main author of autism guidelines for the Church of England.

Good morning

Today is World Autism Day. A day when those of us in the autistic communities may wish to celebrate all that we are, and the great steps forward in understanding autism in recent years, as a difference where some need more support, not a deficit or a disease.

What would a world without autism look like? What would our churches look like? There would be fewer dedicated autistic Architects, designing our buildings. Fewer craftspeople, doing painstaking work in stone, wood, glass and so many other materials, creating lasting beauty and deep purpose. There would be fewer autistic church leaders, bringing honesty and integrity, diligence and fairness to their work for God. Fewer autistic musicians, bringing life to worship after decades of practice, bring excellence through autistic sensory differences. And fewer autistic people in the pews, as likely to be Christians as anyone else.

Every autistic person is a person of value, a person fully worthy of love. That journeying through life involves both autistic and non-autistic people learning from one another, cherishing their time together.

I have been blessed with sharing life with countless hundreds of autistic people of all kinds. It is thought that Jesus had an autistic friend, Nicodemus. , - 鈥淐an a person be born again鈥� he asked - an expert on the laws, and still there at Jesus鈥檚 side even at the tomb. That鈥檚 friendship indeed.

God of all people, lead us to deep understanding and shared fellowship with all those whom Jesus called his brothers and sisters. Guide us in love on this World Autism Day.

Amen