Down Syndrome, A Punishment from God?

I am just baffled sometimes knowing that there are people who still hold this idea.  To them, Down Syndrome (DS) is a punishment for the manifestation of sins in the world.  They would use words like “disabled,” “retarded,” and “abnormal” to imply a special brand of imperfection.  Yet I am unable to imagine what kind of God do they profess in believing.  It is certainly not the one you hear the evangelist John proclaims as so loving whom He sent his only Son to be among us.  It is possible that they might not even know who God is because they have yet to experience the love of someone with DS (1 John 4:8).      

A child with DS is not defective or a mistake.  Like any child, they are first and foremost, a special gift, a precious human being, a child with much to offer.  For me, there are three things that I have learned from people with DS.  First, they are loving and affectionate people.  How would the world be like if they were to govern it?  It may not be as structured and organized as it can be, but at least there would be endless joys of hugs and the genuine care for others.  What you see in front of you is really what you get.  Simple, straightforward and unpretentious people whose lives are so pure.

Secondly, patience, and lots of patience.  It takes time to develop the relationship of understanding.  People with DS can be a little difficult to understand since their speech may not be clear.  I find that ambiguity can cause us to be frustrated, but we need to have the patience, flexibility, and peace in knowing that the vagueness is okay.  Charitable love eventually will take over and I have learned that it will fill up the gaps for us for it has no strings to tie us down. 

Lastly, I am grateful for the lesson of humility.  The humility to know who I am, and that is weak, limited, and broken.  I am not any better or know any better than I think I am.  Whether we have an extra chromosome or not, we are all playing together on a grass field sprouted in God’s grace.  We all have the same goal and we are all on the same team.  People with DS helped me to celebrate diversity and stretched that word beyond my definition.  Diversity is bigger than just race, gender and ethnicity.  It is about accepting the uniqueness of others and knowing that despite our differences, we are all the same in God’s eyes.  All the people with DS whom I have encountered have been an ongoing inspiration for me as I get to know them.  This is why I am not able to understand how someone can say that the evidence of sin and punishment lies in the extra chromosome.  I once read from someone that said the only evidence of sin is how the world reacts to those with DS.  I am no more human, no more born in less sin, and no more blessed in God’s grace than anyone else.           

Today is the last day of October.  It is the last day of the month we celebrate awareness of people with Down Syndrome.  One of the stories that I saw that touched my heart earlier this year was a story of an identical twin who has DS and diagnosed with leukemia together.  You can see their story of hope below and let us keep them and all those with DS, their families and caretakers in our prayers.