I have been doing some more thinking on the idea of whether Ella will have Down Syndrome in Heaven. Many people have commented (most parents of individuals with Down Syndrome) that they agree that their children might have some of the superficial physical characteristics of Down Syndrome but will not have the health problems, speech delays or intellectual disabilities that are associated. They will be “normal”. But this begs the question, “What is normal?” and “Does Normal=Good?” What if what we believe to be “disabled” is actually okay. What if God’s idea of perfection is different than our own? What if (and this is completely hypothetical – not necessarily what I believe) in heaven no one will need words to communicate, so speech won’t be an issue? What if there was no such thing as IQ? What if all the things we measure greatness by are non-issues, or non-existent?
The other night, amongst friends and lovely food, we were discussing the challenges of Bible translation. Apparently, so we were told, in the Turkish language, there is no equivalent for the concept of Revelation. Being the final book of the Bible you can see how this would be a problem. I am almost certain, that heaven, being a place which will be for all nations and cultures, will universally apply, but what about the language we have given good, fair and right?
The question gets uncomfortably close to home as I consider my own intellectual ability. I must confess that if I don’t get a good mark, I spiral into an existential crisis. I value intellect. I value being better, if not the best. I strive for perfection. And while I don’t place these standards on those around me, my children or my husband how do these values shape my perception of what I believe to be God’s will and the fulfillment of his divine plan? I remember Amy Julia Becker discussing this in her book A Good and Perfect Gift but have lent it out so I can give it full context, but I think it is worth revisiting. I think most of us all accept our children as blessings and celebrate their abilities, but how okay with the disabilities are we really?
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