The Worth Of Knowing

I don’t (or, rather, extremely rarely) talk or write about political things. If we’re being honest, politics never really gets to the root issues. That said, I think we work with what we got, and hold hope for what we’re not.

I do occasionally write on things that people view as political. I don’t believe these topics are political at their core. They’re probably categorized that way because 1) their implications can be political and 2) we as a culture have mostly decided to discuss these topics in politics (we might offend someone if we discuss them in other conversations or settings).

These topics are the ones that have to do with human value and rights (or lack thereof).

Some of these topics, such as abortion, are discussed in some churches and Christian circles. There we might hear it said “at it’s root abortion is not a political issue, it’s a God issue.”

I agree, but I think we need to carry that logic further.

My heart still aches for the church to speak freely about the sanctity of all human life.

I know we each can’t champion every issue out there. But, I’m just going to be honest, when I hear about babies in the womb and I can’t help but think of the babies in Gaza. The ones born to undernourished mothers in tents with no medical assistance. The ones that are ghostly white – nearly as white as the plastic that’s secured around their bodies as they lay in front of their weeping parent.

This is not political. These are “just” snippets of reality in a world where the sanctity of all human life is not recognized.

We’ve heard the argument: the location of a baby (inside or outside of the womb) does not change their humanity or value.

Let’s run with that logic.

The location of the baby (in the Middle East or in North America or in theCongo) does not change their humanity or value either.

We’ve heard that the dependence of the baby (whether it needs the nourishment and safety found in the womb or found in night feedings) does not change their humanity or value.

Then it follows that the dependence of a baby (whether it needs to be protected from bombs or starvation or SIDS) does not change their humanity or value.

Who a baby’s parents are (a rapist or a terrorist or a Zionist) does not change the baby’s humanity or value.

We’ve been assured it is never or rarely (depending who is talking) medically necessary to abort a living baby. God can do miracles. We pray and we hold out hope. We induce labor, perform caesareans, and deliver preemies. We hold and caress their small bodies and whisper that they are loved.

Are we willing to do the same for babies around the world who are facing a sort of “abortion” from the world rather than the womb?

Are we willing to hold out hope for them? Are we willing to cry out to the God of miracles for the babies in war zones? Are we willing to stop everything in our lives to do what we can so that babies are safely delivered from starvation?

Are we willing to audaciously believe that it’s never necessary to have children be among the causalities of war and famine?

Or is this “just the way war is”?

Is it “out of our hands”?

Is it “their choice”?

Is it “political”?

Valuing life is costly.

We don’t get to pick and choose which lives we value. We give of our own lives to protect the equally valuable, but more vulnerable lives.

But valuing life is also powerful.

It shows the world unconditional love. It whispers to every heart that they have worth and purpose too. It bows to the reality of God making all humans in His glorious image.

Whenever we protect the inherent worth of another human, we are proclaiming the value of all human life.

In extension, we are proclaiming the glory of God.