In the Christian community the phrase is thrown around usually only in reference to abortion. Christians say, “we are pro-life” which to most just means “we are anti-abortion.” But I’ve been thinking about this for a long time…and I’m thinking heavy on it tonight. To be pro-life means so much more than being only anti-abortion (though it most certainly includes it).
To be pro-life is, I believe, to carry the light of life, the hope, redemption in Christ, belief in the quality of life, to all individuals everywhere. Being “pro-life” demands that we fight for life on all fronts. It means that we must consider what our response is to people, institutions, ideas, laws, and beliefs that do not value life. To be pro-life means that we must look to the issues of abortion, adoption, human trafficking, poverty, genocide, murder, and injustice with incredible conviction and fight for the livelihood of those who suffer. We cannot be silent. We must not be silent.
I think being pro-life requires faith, hope, and love. I’m finding more and more that I don’t want to toss this phrase around lightly. I want to believe in it, definitely. I want to be pro-life…but I want to recognize deep within myself that when I say it, I am really believing and fighting for life; that I won’t simply vote “pro-life,” but that I will act “pro-life” and if I really think about it, it will affect every area of my life. It will (or ought) to change everything about the way I think, act, feel, and live in this broken world that is in such desperate need of a Savior.
Being pro-life ought to affect the way I relate to everyone…saint, sinner; poor, rich; educated, uneducated; dirty, clean; religious, non-religious…
Mother Teresa said “the more disfigured the image of God is in that person, the greater will be our faith and devotion in seeking Jesus’ face and lovingly ministering to him.” I think she identifies the difficulty of standing true to the claim of being pro-life: seeking to uphold and redeem the image of Christ in one another. It requires faith. It requires hope. It requires love. It is so hard…It requires grace.
Sometimes I think we go about our days living as if this were it. Actually, I know we do. We struggle to live with eternity in mind. C. S. Lewis once wrote that “You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations — these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit — immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.” For me, this puts a whole new spin on being “pro-life.” Maybe this doesn’t really make sense to anyone else. If not, that’s ok. These are the tired but heartfelt ramblings of a simple girl who, now on the other side of new experiences, finds herself faced with some good but tough thoughts.
There’s a whole lot happening in this world, my friends. Sometimes I shudder to find that I know so little of it. I wish we would fight to know more. I wish we would seek to be deeply affected, that God might use us more effectively in this world. A good friend shared a Tozer quote with me shortly after my return from Africa. It hasn’t been far from my mind since: “It is doubtful that God can use any man greatly until He’s hurt him deeply.” I ask that God would stir His people deeply—break our hearts for the things that break His. I pray that He would make us heart-sick over the injustice in this world. I also pray that He would give His people everywhere a transfusion of HOPE, because I believe that Hope is essential. I believe hope is reality. Too many people have lost sight of reality…we have to help them find it again (or maybe find it for the first time).
Sometimes looking into the face of incredible sin and suffering paralyzes. I say this from personal struggle and experience. I am finding, however, that the first step—indeed, the decisive step—is prayer. It is much more powerful than we really seem to think. We must stay awake in a world where many are numb and asleep. We must keep each other awake! What is the hope we affirm? We must build our lives on it!
Many of you have heard me say or write this before but it just gets to me…so I have to say it again. I think its one of those things that, as I say it “out there,” I say it to myself… and I have to: over and over again.
The Church is dripping with grace in a world that hurts and hungers for it. So how then will we live?
3 comments:
I agree. I need to learn to agree less flippantly. Or perhaps to internalize exactly what agreement means. I think I say I agree a lot without really agreeing. I think when I say, "I agree," what I really mean is, "I really probably should agree." We live in a world that divorces belief from action too much. <--- do you like how I manage to impersonalize the problem?
As my friend Robbie jokes, "I'll take the Savior; hold the Lord, please."
I'm responding with some concerns or cautionary thoughts on my blog. I realized that I wasn't really responding to you, and that I was writing too long anyway, so I figured it'd be better to just put on my blog.
PS: Again, my blog response is *not* directed at you. There are those who use your language but mean something quite different, I believe. I started responding to that and realized it was not relevant here.
haha. thanks, Mark. I will go check out your blog...
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