Our Only Ground

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About a month ago, I posted the following on facebook:

I'm tired of the word "deserve." "Ever girl deserves..." "...because you deserve..." "Everyone deserves..."
"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead...made us alive...that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."
All we deserve is eternal death in hell, but Christ's incarnation and sacrifice have rendered what anyone "deserves" as irrelevant. Life is to be centered around His love, His grace, and His mercy. Can we stop with our false sense of entitlement? I'm so grateful to not get what I deserve!

Having the Christian friends that I do, many agreed with me, posting their own encounters and understanding of the magnitude of the free-ness of God's gift of eternal life. However, at the time, I couldn't help but wonder how many people would have so heartily concurred if they knew what had sparked the mini-rant. Last week, as we mournfully observed the 42nd anniversary of Roe v Wade, enough one-liners, and comic strips, and blog posts rolled across my screen to assure me that my motive in the post would have been rather - if not extremely - unpopular. Why? Because the catalyst for my anti-entitlement reaction was a pro-life ad.

How could we, as Christians, have strayed so far in defending our beliefs? Even a pro-life ad on a Christian radio station fell short. After briefly running through general information about the pro-life organization, the commercial then moved to how those looking to donate could do so as a tax write-off (in fact, the whole ad felt disproportionately money-oriented, but that is not the point here). After announcing all pertinent details, the gentle lady's voice concluded, "Because every baby deserves a chance to live."

Deserves? Is that what we believe?

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If you are pro-life, why? Because you believe that the child in the womb is an actual human being and abortion is the same as murder? Who says murder is wrong? Couldn't it sometimes be a necessary evil for the greater good?

Are you pro-life because studies show that a baby in the womb can feel pain? Is pain inflicted on another human a legitimate reason for outlawing a practice? Do we outlaw orthodontists? Doctors who set legs? Who's to say that the temporary pain of an abortion isn't, in the long run, the best for the child, if his life would be one of great trial?

Are you pro-life because "innocent" babies deserve the chance to live? Why? Do their mothers "deserve" to go through the nausea, discomfort, job complications, and financial hardship to bring to term children they don't even want - perhaps for whom they cannot even provide?

Why are you pro-life?

If the Christian literature I saw this past week is any indication, we are failing miserably in our attempts to answer this question. We spout our scientific facts: 8 weeks after conception, the baby's heartbeat is discernible via ultrasound; at 16-18 weeks, the baby can feel pain. These are evidences of personhood. After science we appeal to morality: the baby is alive, and it's murder to abort him; abortion is sacrificing one's children on the altar of selfishness and willful ignorance. Goodness and kindness rise up in protest.  But the weapon of choice is pathos. Miraculous survival stories, heart-wrenching testimonials, appeals to mothers who would never want pain for their children- the more tears we see, the more people we feel we've reached.

Why are you pro-life?

Christians, should not our answer be, "I am pro-life because never once in God's word did He show the unborn to be of any less personhood than the born; therefore, I cannot consider them to be anything else, either. I am pro-life because our God is the God of life and murder is against His very nature; therefore, I oppose it too. I am pro-life because God loves children; therefore, I delight in them as well."?

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Are we ashamed of these answers? Afraid of "turning people away" by our radical, life-supporting, Christian response? Have we so thoughtlessly burned our bridges? Our foundation was surely on the rock, but we have taken a sledgehammer to it in the name of not "forcing our views on others." If we blow the pro-life horn in the name of ever-changing science, unreliable pathos, and floating societal morality, how will it sound?

In observing the Christians of his time, William Wilberforce noted this lack of foundation from which we still waver today:

"If we listen to [the Christians'] conversation, virtue is praised, and vice is censured; piety is perhaps applauded, and profaneness condemned. So far all is well. But let any one, who would not be deceived by the "barren generalities" examine a little more closely, and he will find, that not to Christianity in particular, but at best to Religion in general, perhaps to mere Morality their homage is intended to be paid..."
"Does this seem too strong? View their plan of life and their ordinary conduct....Wherein can we discern the points of discrimination between them and professed unbelievers?"

 I am pro-life. Not because science "proves" or "supports" the life of a child in the womb - although it does.

Not because it is "bad" or "evil" to take that life, whether from the preference of the parent or pressure on the parent  - although it is.

Not because I have shed innumerable tears over the lost lives of so many millions - although I have.

And certainly not because every baby deserves to live - frankly, they don't. None of us do.

I am pro-life because my Father in heaven, Who has so perfectly formed each being, loves, bestows, and values life, and I stand with Him. What other choice do we have? "All other ground is sinking sand."

The Cast

Yesterday afternoon Meg and I went with Maddy and mama to get the arm set (when she broke it Thursday, they just splinted it). I really think my little sis is braver than I am. When the doctor popped her arm back into place, her sweet little face got suddenly very red, and her blue eyes got very wet, but no tears fell, and not a sound did she make. The real pain, though, came a few minutes later, as she was having her cast fitted. As the (doctor? nurse? I don't know) was squeezing the cast to shape it, her poor little lip began to tremble, and at last she turned her face the other way and covered her eyes with her left hand. Still, not a sound came from her baby-mouth (I know she's six, but at times like these she is definitely still my baby sis), but tears began to pour down her red face, and her breathing turned quick and heavy. Megan and I were not so brave. I had to grab a seat suddenly to keep from passing out, and Meggy and I hugged each other, on the verge of tears, and called whatever sweet things to Maddy we could think of. She was so precious, when it was done, lying there trying to regain her equilibrium without being noisy. Mama says she has completely cleared herself of her reputation from last time she was in the hospital, when she SCREAMED at every nurse, doctor, or assistant who dared to peek into her room. How brave she is!

After the cast was set, they had an X-ray to make sure the bone was straight, and for about ten minutes we were all on pins and needles, because the bone wasn't completely straight, and we weren't sure if the doctor would have to cut the cast and re-set it (can you imagine the poor baby going through that again?). We were so glad and thankful to the Lord when doctor told us it was fine where it was. Right now, the bone is about 10 degrees off - which he says is fine for a wee person, because it will grow back straight even from there - but she has to go in for another X-ray on Wednesday to make sure it hasn't shifted off anymore. If it does... li'l Maddy will have to do yesterday all over again. Pray for her!

Practicing eating with her left hand

However, while she would definitely be scared to go again - now knowing now exactly what it feels like - she was quick to bounce out of it, and melted mama and my hearts when she told daddy on the phone that "It did hurt me a little, and I had to cry some, but it's ok."

Ahhh Maddy girl. She is very excited about her deep purple cast, though! :)