Sanctity of Life Week

This week, evangelical Christians in the United States and elsewhere have been celebrating Sanctity of Life week.  It is a time spent thinking about one of the most divisive issues in the U.S., the subject of abortion.  There is no doubt that, from a Judeo-Christian viewpoint, the unborn child is of immense value.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; ..."  Jeremiah 1:5.

I can remember, when my wife was pregnant with our first child, the first time we saw an ultrasound of the baby growing inside.  My first thought, as the picture came up, was "That's a spine!", and then "That's the head!".  It was easy to see.  The little lump inside my wife was a little person.  and she was beautiful.

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb."  Psalm 139:13.

It is estimated that about 50 million unborn babies have been aborted in the U.S. over the past few decades.  That's an enormous number of individuals who never had a chance at life because their mothers and fathers didn't want them.  It is hard to imagine something as sad as an innocent baby who isn't wanted by his/her parents.

This morning in Church, a woman spoke about her daughter, a teen, who had become pregnant.  And she immediately thought that abortion was the answer.  But fortunately, they managed to find Living Alternatives pregnancy resource center.  There they met people who cared about them and their situation, and helped them find the love in their hearts that they needed for the child.  They ended up keeping the child, and the baby is a few months old now.  The grandmother kept saying "I can't believe I ever thought that (about abortion)".  Her heart was changed.  The mother is still an honor student!  I couldn't help but want to help them in their difficult journey that still lies ahead.  

"'For I know the plans I have for you', declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"  Jeremiah 29:11

What bothered me most was the total lack of dads - neither the dad of the baby nor the dad of the teen mother were anywhere around.  MEN, MAN UP.  On a personal note, there has been nothing better happen to me in my entire life than being a dad to little children.  Their faces, smiles, quirks, habits, mannerisms, and little minds are amazing and inspiring and frustrating on a daily basis.  But there is something about being a father that really changes a man's heart & mind to something good.

But this issue, about the sanctity of life, is not just about unborn babies and U.S. politics.  This past week, I came across a blog post in the Independent titled: "It's a girl: The three deadliest words in the world".  This is about a documentary film, "It's a girl", that discusses the practice of killing unwanted baby girls, both in the womb and born, in south Asia.  And it is soul-crushing.  The practice of killing baby girls is due to a twisted view that boys are somehow more valuable, partly brought on by cultural factors of work & provision for the family.  But it isn't just cultural, this is a spiritual blackness of seeing children as something other than valued, beloved children of God.  The second sentence of the article states "The trailer's most chilling scene is one with an Indian woman who, unable to contain her laughter, confesses to having killed eight infant daughters."  A picture of a smiling woman is also captioned "I strangled it soon after it was born."  Pretty much sucks the life right out of your soul, doesn't it?  Tough to read.

This is evil, plain & simple.  There is nothing else to call it.

It is estimated that ~200 million girls in the world are "missing", presumably killed or sold into some sort of slavery.  What an enormous number, about 2/3 the population of the entire United States.  It is a sickening travesty against women, mainly performed by women.  And it is a crime against humanity itself.

So my fellow world travelers, I want to leave you with simply this: that life is precious, especially little ones.  Somehow, there are folks in our world who's mental patterns are so far gone from that one simple truth that they are able to kill these little ones multiple times and talk about it with a smirk on their face.  How have we gotten so far gone?  Humanity has probably been this far gone for thousands of years, somewhere.  But cultural change through education, humanitarian aid, and a change of heart toward valuing all life can and will make the difference, just like it did in the life of the women at my church this morning.  I encourage folks to find an organization like Living Alternatives and help out in any way you can.  These organizations always are in need - give a little, and you'll change a life.