At 19, Caroline Campbell started a project that would take years to complete. “In the beginning,” she wrote, “God created the heavens and the earth.”Over the course of the next nine years, Caroline wrote the entire Bible by hand. 43 binders. 66 books of the Bible. 782,815 words. When Caroline’s parents reflect on this remarkable accomplishment, a key lesson emerges: don’t impose limits where none are required. Caroline was born with Down syndrome, but her parents decided early on not to assume that any task was outside her abilities. They wanted to let Caroline show them what she could do. And show them she did. It’s tempting to make assumptions about people based on their appearance, cognitive ability, or background. But what we see in Caroline’s story is this: God’s imago dei is not conventionally defined or seen only in the expected ways. In fact, it is our great, God-given joy—and responsibility—to join him in honoring the beauty and diversity of his creation. |