Who Is Deserving of Life and Love?

If I were to tell you that I only love my blue-eyed children, what would you think? There would surely be well deserved outrage! What if God only loved those of us who were saints or we were obligated to only love those with whom we agree? How would the family fare if children only had to obey the house rules that they enjoy? 

I could continue with one outlandish example after another, but the point is sufficiently made.

To truly love, to truly be prolife, we must have no conditions – and no exceptions. To claim otherwise would infer that there are exceptions to the Great Commandment, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind. (Matthew 22:37) And the second, which is like it, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (Matthew 22:39-40)” In following this explicit instruction given by Jesus Christ, however, we can demand no exceptions. 

His position is further clarified by the parable of the Good Samaritan. Jesus shared this story with a lawyer attempting to entrap Him. The lawyer slyly asked, “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:25-37) In His reply, Jesus left no room for doubt. The mandate is unmistakably detailed and illuminated. Even though some may shy away, repulsed or fearful, as they did with the unfortunate robbery victim, we are enjoined to show loving care. It may mean stepping out of our comfort zone, prove to be inconvenient, or take an abundance of grace and effort – but we can’t deny the clear instruction.

How then, can we position ourselves to hold exceptions when it comes to the most vulnerable of all neighbors? There is a vicious war being waged against the unborn, in our country and around the globe. These innocents have done no harm, have carried out no transgression. Like the man who was robbed on his way to Jericho, they are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

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Their fate is not a choice we have a right to make – especially when based on flawed human preferences or false values. Children who are conceived in rape or incest, those physically or mentally challenged, or those who have an outlook for a limited lifespan – these children have the same God-given right to life shared by all of humanity. 

The undeniable conclusion must be, then, that whether or not we are honest in claiming to be prolife is dependent on whether or not we attempt to put conditions on who ‘deserves’ life. That simply is not our call.

God, the Author of Life, has given the right to life to each individual at His desire. He, and only He, creates the life and only He has the right to call a life into Eternity. As children of God, we are not dependent on some perceived, human determined value. We’re “fearfully and wonderfully made” for His “works are wonderful”. We know full well that His love for us is unconditional. If we are to adhere to His command, we must mirror that love – with no exception, no compromise. Everyone deserves that God-given right!