You Keep Using that Word

You might want to get an extra large coffee this morning because I’m going to step into something controversial, y’all. I want to talk about our (ab)use of the term ‘pro-life’ because I’m not seeing much evidence that many folks who use the term pro-life to describe their political or even religious stance actually are.

To be truly pro-life, we are just as concerned with the quality of life both before and after birth. Pro-life means we believe that every single human being deserves the same quality of life that we think we deserve and are willing to do all we can to make that a reality.

Jesus says that if we love him we will take care of others (see the Gospel according to John chapter 21).

To be truly pro-life, we know that men are equally as culpable as women in the pregnancies that occur from consensual sex and totally and completely and the only one responsible for the pregnancies that occur from the horror of rape.

When a group of men brought a woman to Jesus so that he might condemn her for her actions, Jesus responded by holding the men just as accountable (see the Gospel according to John chapter 8).

To be truly pro-life, we remember that history has taught us that outlawing abortion does not stop abortion but drives it into the dark ‘alleyways’ and into the hands of poorly trained and ill-equipped practitioners where women are mutilated and die. (Here is an expert and reliable resource for more information: https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/this-is-not-about-covid19-but-another?fbclid=IwAR1Hw0JT3FJ1KtNqfyUc5Id1AjnWpTSI8fCia3gZ9oI9hNpGxUfAxNYCtdo)

Without question or hesitation, Jesus healed a woman who had suffered for many, many years and had lost everything because she was unable to find a single person who would provide her with care and compassion (see the Gospel according to Luke, chapter 8).

To be truly pro-life, we realize that our culture perpetuates the false idea that our value and worth, our identity is in the sex we are or are not having, and we learn to see the true value of all people as God’s beloved children. I once had a dear, sweet woman cry that she felt less than human because she was too old to enjoy sex anymore; in her 80s she had fallen victim to this de-humanizing idea. When we accept and believe that our identity is in our creation as God’s beloved children, we will truly know the value all human life.

We are told that all people, all of humanity, are created in the divine image and that with our creation, God pronounced all of creation very good (See the book of Genesis chapter 1).

To be truly pro-life, we do not use God’s Word as a weapon against anyone but as a formation tool for our own character so that we continuously grow to live and love more like Jesus.

To be truly pro-life, we live the words of Jesus that teach us to love God with all of our being and to love our neighbor as ourselves (see the Gospel according to Matthew chapter 21).

And, if we were truly pro-life we would all be willing to submit to the minor inconvenience of wearing a face covering in public and that all who are medically able would get the safe and effective COVID19 vaccine in order to protect the lives of everyone in our communities.

And, if we were truly pro-life, we’d be willing to give up something, anything, everything we think is our ‘right’ in order to preserve the life of another because life is more precious than anything, even our guns.

When we are truly pro-life, we see every human being as God sees us: with the eyes of compassion and love, working toward the benefit of every single human being. Pro-life leaves no room for selfish insistence on controlling others nor the demand of our own personal liberties. Pro-life means we are other-focused rather than self-centered and that we choose compassion and grace over condemnation and control.

Pro-life means we choose to love as God loves, every single person, every single time.

Thank you for your time and attention. May your Saturday be blessed with an increasing awareness of God at all times, in all places, and in all people.

God’s peace,
Mtr. Nancy+