Sanctity of Life

Life in its purest form can be seen in the eyes of a newborn child. They are soft, they are vulnerable, they are simply a touch of perfection. They are born so fragile and dependent that without adults caring for them they simply could not sustain life on their own. In what seems like a lifetime ago, I worked in the medical field. During my time in that profession I worked in surgery assisting surgeons in whatever procedure was scheduled for the day. Two of my specialties were Neurosurgery and Gynecological procedures. On one occasion, I had the privilege of assisting in a vaginal birth that unfortunately resulted in the delivery of a baby too young to sustain life. In these instances, the parents are given the option of holding the baby until its last breath or, if unable to cope with the immense grief of watching their child pass, they can say their farewells and have a nurse care for the baby. It was under these circumstances that I witnessed the most heartwarming and heart-breaking encounter. A nurse wrapped the dying baby in a blanket, settled in a rocking chair and held the baby until it was no longer breathing. As I watched in silence, I saw the care in that nurse’s embrace, I saw her step in without hesitation and bestow this baby with the worth and dignity it deserved. There was no less care given because we knew the baby was not fully mature and had zero chance of survival; the baby was held in the highest honor even as we witnessed life slipping away. Each person in that room understood we were standing in the middle of a space between life and death, where beauty and tragedy embrace.

And so it is, for every baby who is lost through miscarriage, premature birth, illness, or abortion. The tragedy is in the loss of the tiny image bearer, the beauty is in the splendor of its conception…a spark of life created in the very image of its Creator…that is the sacredness, the majesty and the mystery of life. Genesis 1:27- So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. All human beings are set apart and marked with unique dignity and worth; we should marvel at our very existence and acknowledge each other accordingly. For when our Holy and Sovereign God gazes upon humanity, there is no life of less value or importance.

This sacredness begins with conception and slowly, as the baby develops within its mother’s womb, two lives become intricately intertwined. In fact, a woman and her child are bonded in such a way that if anything happens to one, it impacts the other.

+Psalm 139: 13-14 For you created my inmost being you knit me in my mother’s womb. I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. This verse is about the beautiful wonder of the two lives intertwined during pregnancy.

In Genesis 21:8-21 we read a story about the dignity and worth of a woman and her child. It’s the story of Hagar and her son. In the wilderness God came to Hagar with a message of provision. He led her to life-giving water and told her of a future for her child. Abraham sent her away and Sarah insisted on her departure, but the Lord met Hagar during her greatest need. In the eyes of Abraham, perhaps Hagar had become a nuisance. In the eyes of Sarah, she was a threat, and in the eyes of the culture at that time, a slave girl had no rights; she was simply property at the mercy of her owners. How sad that we are not much different…we assign value to one’s life based on status, intellect, or wealth. And life in its simplest form is voiceless, and because of this, the frail form of an unborn child is often disregarded. That is why it is crucial that we as the church of Christ speak in honor of its value and worth. But we must do so in a way that also honors the vessel carrying the child. I’d like to provide some sobering statistics:

4 out of 10 women who choose abortion are regular churchgoers and profess Christianity.

Only 7% of women approach the church for help before getting an abortion.

By the age of 45, 1 in 4 women will have an abortion and nearly half of all unintended pregnancies will end in abortion. These women and children do not need picket lines, they need a grace-centered solution. They need tangible options and a lifetime of support and encouragement.

The way the church approaches this issue could be life-giving or life-depleting. So, how do we do this? I believe we find our answer in John 8:1-11. We must do as Christ did when confronted by an angry mob who desired to stone an adulterous woman and entrap him by His response. In what was probably audacious behavior, Jesus begins writing in the sand. He then dared someone to condemn the accused. After dealing with the self-righteous crowd, he then turned to the woman and gave her a grace-centered solution. Instead of condemning her, he did the most audacious thing He could, especially in an honor/shame culture. He forgave her and set her on a path of restoration. Together we can exemplify this posture. We can let our community know there is safety within the walls of our church. We can cover the broken woman and her child and stand beside those who are weak and hurting. And I believe we are doing this; we have setup ministries for the abortion minded woman, the single mother, the widow, the married, we have a ministry for those struggling in poverty, and one for the elderly, we have a counseling ministry ready and equipped to help a person who is dealing with any number of issues. And it doesn’t stop there, as God presents a need, we are stepping out of comfort and doing our part. This is how the church thrives–when each person is using their gifts to serve…that’s the Christ-centered solution. So, in honor of Sanctity of Life, let us continue to do the hard work, let us, draw the distinction between church and culture and strive to emulate our King with the confounding behavior of love in action and the audacious message of Christ’s hope.