Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Who are you to judge?


I knew a girl, she changed the lives of thousands. And her funeral, every eye filled with tears, every heart broken. What was her contribution? How did she leave such an indelible mark on so many? Was it her flawless face and perfect body? Or her high IQ? Maybe it was her way with words, or her athletic aptitude? No. It couldn't have been those things. She lived a short 18 months. Never a word was heard from her lips. So much medication and drugs to keep seizures at bay that she could barely hold her head up. But that sweet face, at her first birthday, her pig tales, her family that adored her every breath. Life changing. My life was changed.

A pastor, with a wife and two children, motivational speaker, world renown.  This man. So badly burned as a two year old, not a limb was left intact. Who would have thought? His  life, so purposeful. So impacting. Such quality.

A pastors wife. Three sons, a loving husband and a story to tell. Her life, it almost wasn't. Her grandmother was raped. Her grandmother chose life. She is here because of a choice so few would agree with.


 I could go on and on and on. I really could.  Should I? Ok. I have to. Baby Samuel. He lived only a few hours. I still remember the day I saw his picture slideshow through a friend on facebook. His parents knew, their time with him outside of the womb would be limited. They treasured every minute. Their lives? Forever changed. Would you like to ask them how many lives were changed by their first son? I would venture to guess the number might surpass the number of those affected by the average "normal" life.  With so much talk these days about life and death and who deserves one or the other based on what their *quality* of life will be.  It makes me wonder, what about you? What is your quality of life? Should we measure? Should we compare?  I would like to ask those making these life and death decisions, oh great knowers of the future, could you, would you, have predicted the impact of these lives? Could you have imagined? 


  "Do not judge!" is proclaimed constantly by those that are clearly critical of a Biblical worldview. Yet in an instant these same voices are ready to judge, to end a life, because they have found it wanting.
"Celebrate diversity!"  is our country's mantra. But what, I ask you, is more diverse than the group of individuals I just introduced to you? Is our world celebrating them? They have something to teach us. Their lives are worthy of celebrating. But that is not happening.

My heart has been heavy these past 40 days. 40 days of life. 40 days of praying. Fervently. To save the least of these. Desperately. My friend invited me to stand out front of an abortion clinic. I have never done this. I did not want to do this. But I did. Want to. I had to. Do. Something more.  So we went. Me and my traveling party. Some mommies are scared to keep their babies, I explained.  So they do something horrible. They don't know. They are blind. We need to go and pray. Pray that they will do what is right. The children understand. They agree. So we stood. And we prayed. And it was incredibly powerful. Like nothing I have ever ever done. And I need to write about it. I need to, but the words won't come. Because  I need them to be perfect. Because I need this to stop.

Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it.
― Edmund Burke

This is what is happening right now. People don't know. And we are repeating. This is what I know of history. I know that countless German Christians hid away their Jewish friends, and neighbors, to save them, including, but not limited to, the well known Corrie ten Boom.  I know that Christian men like  Dietrich Bonhoeffer fought Hitler from day one until he, Bonhoeffer,  was executed 23 days before the German surrender. I know that some Christians fought. Hard. But I also know that some didn't. Or I should say, some that called themselves Christians, didn't. And millions died. Because there lives were not considered to have value. So we can ignore history, or we can learn from it. 

But people, we not only have history, we have the future! You see, our friends across the pond. Ya know, the sinking ship we left hundreds of years ago, they kept sinking. And have reached new lows. 

Gender selection abortions? They are happening in England. Right now.  Oh darn, I wanted a boy. Abortion. Try again. It's not supposed to be legal, but
Ann Furedi, the cheif executive of their biggest abortion provider says it would be “wrong” to refuse to consider an abortion request from a woman who cited the sex of her child as a reason.
I'm sorry, What? 

Or  How about Mr Lister a deputy mayor, also of the UK,  who gave his solution to the high cost of caring for disabled CHILDREN : "I would guillotine them."

Did you read that?It's  sickening. and all were "outraged." He had to quit.  But I can't figure out why.  Isn't this what society teaches? Old people, tiny babies, and the disabled. What good are they? He just had the nerve to say out loud what countless people believe. 
But Christian, I am also talking to you. Why? Well, statistics say that almost 80 percent of Americans claim to be Christians, yet, 40 percent think abortion should be legal every.single.time. every.single.way. You don't have to be a math major to see those numbers don't add up. The bible tells me the world is blind, and I have to repeatedly remind myself of this, because man, the things they say, are crazy making. But you church. You should know better!!! 

We have in office a man who told planned parenthood, that the ban on partial birth abortion was "disturbing." Sit with that for a minute. Please. Let all of those words filter through your brain. The ban that said "no you can not crush the skull of a baby and rip it out piece by piece" the ban, yeah, the ban is the disturbing part to this man.

Then we have Gosnell. Whose real crime was having a dirty office. His crime was getting caught. You know he is not alone, right? But again, all were "outraged", its so hypocritical.  Yes, he was convicted of beheading babies born alive. But, who  would consider that a criminal offense? Our president? Not exactly. Oh and planned parenthood, What do they think should happen to a baby that escapes an abortion? They say  "we will leave that to the doctor and the mother. "

Elections come and go, and really hip Christians say things like "I don't vote on one issue. "  Well how diverse. But please forgive me for wanting "doctors" to stop ripping the limbs off of babies so badly that I placed that ONE issue above the rest.  Because when a baby is teething. TEETHING, we fill them with Tylenol just to ease the pain, but a few months earlier, tearing off their arm? Well, that is a choice and just one issue. and who would vote based on that. Tearing off an arm. Someone help. 

This can't keep happening. And there is so much more we can do *in addition* to voicing our conviction with our vote. But none of those things are going to happen, unless their is a fundamental shift in the way, we, who call ourselves Christians, view the sanctity of life, and reject Hollywood's definition of worth and beauty and replace it with what the Bible teaches.
Every life is filled with purpose. Those with special needs are especially filled with purpose. The stories that I shared, could be multiplied over and over. They are not unique. There was so much pain, but they were also given a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, praise instead of despair. Their purpose comes from their common denominator. In each story, their lives were surrendered to the power and will of Christ. 
 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28