This Sunday is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday where Christians pause to remember the value of all life in view of the Roe vs Wade decision. Roe vs Wade marked the cultural shift suggesting that only some lives matter. However, we instinctively know that this is not true.
A role of government is to protect its citizen’s rights as seen in the UK’s Human Rights Act 1998, “Article 2 protects your right to life. This means that nobody - including the government - can try to end your life. It also means the government should take appropriate measures to safeguard life by making laws to protect you and, in some circumstances, by taking steps to protect you if your life is at risk. Public authorities should also consider your right to life when making decisions that might put you in danger or that affect your life expectancy.”
Government should honor life by protecting those who cannot speak for themselves. However, history shows that this is quickly forgotten when a society believes that the rights of some are greater than others. Genocide describes the deliberate killing of an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group; geronticide describes the killing of the elderly – but should a woman choose to abort her child, we call it her right to choose. There seems to be something horribly wrong with this. The only right choice is to choose life.
There is always a choice. Unfortunately, many are told that the only “choice” for women facing an unexpected pregnancy is to have an abortion. Nothing could be further from the truth. Should any woman, or man, need support or encouragement to explore their choices when facing an unexpected pregnancy, there are agencies like The Center for Pregnancy Choices, a local non-profit, that helps women explore their options from giving birth to adoption to life skills classes. We need to stand with these women and support these organizations empowering women to choose life.
Since Roe vs Wade our society has continued to deemphasize the importance and value of the life of the unborn. How did we get here? By being duped into believing the lie that God either does not exist or is that He is aphetic towards us. If this were true, then there is no right nor wrong, only what I want. However, when we take an honest examination of scripture, we find the claim is false and that all life has value because God gives it value.
In Psalm 139:1 David explains that God is not only aware of us, but that he cares for us too, “You have explored my heart and know exactly who I am.” It is because the Lord knows all about us that he loves us! The Psalm goes onto testify that the Lord’s knowledge of us is not limited to the present but that He knew us before we were conceived. “For You shaped me, inside and out. You knitted me together in my mother’s womb long before I took my first breath. You saw my bones being formed as I took shape in my mother’s body. When I was put together there,” (Psalm 139:13, 15) Before the mother is aware of the child within her, the Lord knows us. Maybe we can say amen with David, “This extraordinary knowledge is beyond me. It is lofty; I am unable to reach it.” (139:6)
I may be preaching to the choir, but it is important for Christ’s Church to speak of the value that God gives to the life of all; especially those who are unable to speak for themselves. It is equally important for Christ’s Church to speak hope and forgiveness to those who have not chosen to give life to the child conceived in them. We must remember that we all come to Christ in need of forgiveness. It was not because we were worthy that Christ died for us; He died for us when we were needy and messed up from our bad choices. It was while we were sinners that the Father reached down from heaven to offer His Son to die for sins and offer us forgiveness.
If you know someone who is struggling with their past choices, tell them of Christ’s love. Should you know someone uncertain about their future as they face an unexpected pregnancy, do more than just offer encouraging words, surround them with the love that Christ brings to all. Finally, celebrate Sanctity of Human Life by thanking your mother for her choice to give you life.