The Least of TheseSample

Mercy for the hurting - Dan Kulp

The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. Matthew 25:40

"Sometimes, when I look into the face of my son who has Down Syndrome, it's like gazing into the face of God." Norm Kulp (Dan’s dad).

Dan Kulp is a comedian, actor, author, and pastor. Three of his four children are adopted and have special needs (Down syndrome and autism, Alfi’s syndrome, spina bifida). He also has four siblings with Down syndrome (three were adopted).

After the birth of his brother in 1971, Dan’s parents adopted three more children with Down syndrome, becoming a family with nine kids! This gave him a unique perspective on the value of life. Now, Dan and his wife have carried on the legacy. The Kulps lived by what Jesus said in Mark 9:35,

Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.

You will laugh as Dan describes his parenting foibles if you read Dan’s book or watch his shows. You will be moved to tears as he tells how his wife’s experiences with the infamous “dying rooms” in China led to adoption (where the orphanage workers leave baby girls to die). You will be inspired by their son Simon, who was abandoned in the woods on the day he was born and became, the Kulps have been told, the first child with Down syndrome adopted out of China to the U.S.

Coaches and families from the Central Region of Special Olympics New York had the privilege of listening to Dan Kulp speak at a recent coaches’ conference. Dan’s quick wit and humor immediately captured the attention of the audience. He shared some hilarious stories of his childhood, growing up in a house with four brothers and sisters with Down syndrome, and heart-wrenching stories that made you think about some of the unfortunate truths in this world. Dan’s mix of humor and fact had everyone bursting out in laughter one minute and fighting back the tears the next. His remarkable story about his son and the trials and tribulations they went through to adopt their children was inspiring to say the least.

Dan and his family have learned to live according to Proverbs 29:23,

Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor.

Reflection: Ezekiel 21:26 puts it all together:

The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low.

Caring for people like Dan’s disabled family members and Eric – are just illustrations of the joy of learning to see people the way God sees them and recognizing that the discriminating and dividing ways of the world are all wrong.