Recently I stood with about
250 other people on Sunrise Boulevard in Roseville, CA. We were there to protest Planned
Parenthood. Over the last few months a
series of videos have been released by the Center for Medical Progress
documenting what the organization has been doing with aborted babies. The videos are appalling and watching them
physically made me sick. The main reason
why I was so appalled was the attitude hidden behind the work. One leader sipped her wine and ate her salad
and was totally unphased by what she was describing (which I will not share
here, but would encourage you to watch the videos yourself). It was frightening to watch and it deeply
concerned me. Have we become so callous
and hard hearted in our country that such things no longer bother us?
The Bible says we are made in the
image of God (Genesis 1:26-27; 9:6), thus all human life is valued and comes
with an inherited dignity. Dignity being
“the state or quality of being worthy of honor or respect”, we have this
quality because we are a reflection of God.
No other creature on earth or in heaven is made in the image of
God. We hold a special place in creation
and this goes for all human beings—born or unborn. At the fall we also know sin entered the
world and has corrupted what once was perfect and God is working to restore
what was lost. Thus we now live in the
already and not yet. We know God will
restore everything to himself through Jesus Christ and we long for the day when
we will spend eternity in his presence.
Until that time we are to be share Christ with the world—to build his
kingdom and we are do this until Christ returns or we are called home.
Because of the value of human life
and the obligation we have as citizens of the kingdom we have the scared duty
to defend and protect, provide for and care for those who are defenseless, broken
and in need. The orphan and the widow
are to hold a special place in our hearts, we are commanded to love one another
and we are to share that love with the world.
These are not just buzz words for the follower of Christ to banter
around on Sunday morning to make us feel better about what we are not doing. They are descriptive and are to define in
essence who we are. This is because they
are the reflective attributes of God himself—who is in us.
Who will stand up for the one who
cannot speak on their own behalf? Who
will be the voice that pushes back the darkness and holds up the light for
other to see? I’m reminded of Paul’s
words to the church in Philippi “Do everything without grumbling and
arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are
faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like
stars in the world. Hold firmly to the message of life.” (Php 2:14-16a) We are to shine like stars in the culture,
holding firmly to the message of life that is found in Jesus Christ alone. We shine so that those who are lost may be
guided back to the source of hope and peace, grace and mercy, love and
forgiveness. Let us encourage each other
to stand for truth, to expose evil and live the gospel of Jesus Christ. Pray for God to close Planned
Parenthood. Pray for those who work in
the clinics. Pray for the young ladies
who visit and pray for the unborn. May
God have mercy upon us all.
