Given the recent presidential elections and debates, I have been thinking about the biblical stance on "Pro-Life", and how many well-meaning Christ-followers often stop short of supporting a holistic ideal of abundant life. Don't get me wrong, I am very much against abortion, but in claiming to be "pro-life" i also am required to look into all that this belief entails, meaning: Anti-death penalty, anti-war and violence, pro-health care, pro-foster care, pro-services for teenage mothers, pro-empowering those in poverty...pro-restortation of life.
We often, as Christ-followers, are very quick to title and categorize what we are "against" versus what we are "for", and often only go as far as protesting versus allowing our values to intertwine into the fabrics of our everyday lives. We hold firm beliefs but really would rather them stay as beliefs and not mess up our lives too badly and keep us in a comfortable box of checklist commandments. In other words, we kind of skip over the whole integrity value. We claim "pro-life" but really don't open our homes up for kids or pregnant mothers, get our hands dirty, or enter into the messiness of life. we are fine to tell others what we think they should do and judge their decisions, but quick to put up walls in supporting them in making right decisions and walking them through actual life.
Claiming "pro-life" does not and should not stop once the child is born! Abundant life. This is what Christ has allowed for: "I have come to give life and life abundantly" John 10:10. Does this not also include issues of healthcare and war...death penalty and poverty?? Who are we to judge? Who are we to throw the first stone? Restoration of life. Given the great mercy of our Father God, and the intense grace of our Savior Jesus, should we not be called to restorative justice as well? How can we say "You should be punished with death for killing someone?" Seems like an oxymoron to me. I wonder how many Pauls and Davids we have committed to death for the penalties of their murderous sins? How many times we have declared war on those who have enticed or reacted with war, themselves.
Where do we draw the line in the sand? Where do we throw down the "abortion is murder" signs and pick up a life of integrity...living out what we truly believe and promoting abundant life to the fullest? Let us take example from Jesus and enter into the mess. Then, and only then, is where our words will be valid...our beliefs restorative and our integrity holistic.
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