pro life follow up post 118/366
Wow, the response to my post yesterday has been overwhelming. Mostly positive, but I understand there is some concern and perhaps misunderstanding as well.
I did not watch the complete video clip I posted. My focus was on the first minute. That was irresponsible on my part. I do not know how to trim a video clip. It is my fault if the last minute or so raised concerns. I will not make that mistake again.
To those who understood my heart:
thank you
To those who share my heart:
thank you for letting me know, in a public and affirming way that I am not alone. I may be crazy, but if I am, I consider myself in good company.
Are you pro life or anti abortion?
That is a question I posed. For someone who is very aware of the importance of having a common working definition of words, I failed miserably yesterday. If you look up pro-life in the dictionary it says: opposing abortion and euthanasia.
I have a much broader understanding of what it means to be pro-life and I did not do an adequate job explaining my use of the term. I 'd like to take a few minutes to rectify that now. For me, pro-life means you are concerned about all of life. Every moment that fills the time between conception and death.
With that broader understanding, fighting to protect babies lives does not mean you are pro-life, it means you are fighting to protect babies lives. That is a noble pursuit when done with respect, kindness and gentleness. But if your only focus is seeing babies born, especially if you disrespect, demean and/or bully the mother while doing your fighting, you are simply anti-abortion. To be pro-life requires more.
In regards to the unborn it includes being available to engage in conversation, without threatening, long before a woman goes to an abortion clinic. It means loving, helping, supporting women who are pregnant and if needed,helping find resources for them both to live. Especially teenagers and those at risk. It means not making snide comments or disgracing them, making them feel like pregnancy is a sin. It isn't. Sex outside of marriage is, but a baby created in that way is not. If they are a Jesus follower you can bet they already feel the weight of guilt, they don't need you to add to it. If they are not believers, they have a different moral compass than you do. Disgracing, disrespecting, belittling or hate talking to them, especially if you claim to be a Jesus follower, is not going to make your advice or your Jesus credible or appealing.
To be pro-life means being there with kind, compassionate open arms and a hurting heart to welcome and counsel a woman who has had an abortion. She needs to know there is forgiveness, hope and life after death.
Being pro-life means you agree that all life matters and you are involved in doing what you can to add to the quality of life for all people, from before birth until death. Being pro-life is messy. And hard. And uncomfortable. And costly. You cannot do everything, but you can do something! Maybe serving, maybe supporting ministries that serve. If you are a Jesus follower it definitely means praying. If you need ideas of where to start, see my list of questions from yesterday's post.
Whose life matters?
Every life matters.
The babies being knit together in their mother's womb.
The people living physically, mentally or emotionally challenged.
The drug addict.
The homeless.
The business tycoon.
The criminal.
The poor.
The politician.
The rich.
The immigrant.
The religious.
The unreached.
The blue collar workers.
The people who believe differently than you.
Those whose skin is a different color from yours.
Your friends.
Your acquaintances.
Your enemies.
This list is not exhaustive, but it is a start.
I am going to borrow a quote:
"You will never look into the eyes of someone God does not love."
I am also going to rework it:
"You will never look into the eyes of someone God did not create."
Every life matters.
so:
Pray.
Be bold.
Be kind.
Be compassionate.
Be respectful.
Be gentle.
Pray.
Work hard.
Love lavishly.
Forgive freely.
Serve willingly.
Practice being pro-life, for life, all life.
If you have any questions or concerns, please message me. I'd love to chat with you.
I did not watch the complete video clip I posted. My focus was on the first minute. That was irresponsible on my part. I do not know how to trim a video clip. It is my fault if the last minute or so raised concerns. I will not make that mistake again.
To those who understood my heart:
thank you
To those who share my heart:
thank you for letting me know, in a public and affirming way that I am not alone. I may be crazy, but if I am, I consider myself in good company.
Are you pro life or anti abortion?
That is a question I posed. For someone who is very aware of the importance of having a common working definition of words, I failed miserably yesterday. If you look up pro-life in the dictionary it says: opposing abortion and euthanasia.
I have a much broader understanding of what it means to be pro-life and I did not do an adequate job explaining my use of the term. I 'd like to take a few minutes to rectify that now. For me, pro-life means you are concerned about all of life. Every moment that fills the time between conception and death.
With that broader understanding, fighting to protect babies lives does not mean you are pro-life, it means you are fighting to protect babies lives. That is a noble pursuit when done with respect, kindness and gentleness. But if your only focus is seeing babies born, especially if you disrespect, demean and/or bully the mother while doing your fighting, you are simply anti-abortion. To be pro-life requires more.
In regards to the unborn it includes being available to engage in conversation, without threatening, long before a woman goes to an abortion clinic. It means loving, helping, supporting women who are pregnant and if needed,helping find resources for them both to live. Especially teenagers and those at risk. It means not making snide comments or disgracing them, making them feel like pregnancy is a sin. It isn't. Sex outside of marriage is, but a baby created in that way is not. If they are a Jesus follower you can bet they already feel the weight of guilt, they don't need you to add to it. If they are not believers, they have a different moral compass than you do. Disgracing, disrespecting, belittling or hate talking to them, especially if you claim to be a Jesus follower, is not going to make your advice or your Jesus credible or appealing.
To be pro-life means being there with kind, compassionate open arms and a hurting heart to welcome and counsel a woman who has had an abortion. She needs to know there is forgiveness, hope and life after death.
Being pro-life means you agree that all life matters and you are involved in doing what you can to add to the quality of life for all people, from before birth until death. Being pro-life is messy. And hard. And uncomfortable. And costly. You cannot do everything, but you can do something! Maybe serving, maybe supporting ministries that serve. If you are a Jesus follower it definitely means praying. If you need ideas of where to start, see my list of questions from yesterday's post.
Whose life matters?
Every life matters.
The babies being knit together in their mother's womb.
The people living physically, mentally or emotionally challenged.
The drug addict.
The homeless.
The business tycoon.
The criminal.
The poor.
The politician.
The rich.
The immigrant.
The religious.
The unreached.
The blue collar workers.
The people who believe differently than you.
Those whose skin is a different color from yours.
Your friends.
Your acquaintances.
Your enemies.
This list is not exhaustive, but it is a start.
I am going to borrow a quote:
"You will never look into the eyes of someone God does not love."
I am also going to rework it:
"You will never look into the eyes of someone God did not create."
Every life matters.
so:
Pray.
Be bold.
Be kind.
Be compassionate.
Be respectful.
Be gentle.
Pray.
Work hard.
Love lavishly.
Forgive freely.
Serve willingly.
Practice being pro-life, for life, all life.
If you have any questions or concerns, please message me. I'd love to chat with you.
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