I was in Washington D.C. last Friday, but I was not wearing a brightly colored scarf and holding a picket sign like the many pro-life march participants that filled the city streets around me.
I value life. I value life higher than most any other thing. However, it is because of this value that I do not consider myself “pro-life.” In my constant efforts to bridge lines drawn between “us” and “them,” I often find myself walking a difficult midline in many conversations. I hope that you can walk it with me for just a moment, even if our perspectives differ.
Upon conception, a baby is the beginning of a most intricate and mysterious miracle in God’s planned designed. I wish every child was carefully considered, anticipated, welcomed, and loved. The truth of this matter is however, that very rarely do humans care well for God’s plans or designs.
Statistics from government surveys and various relief organizations average 13-16 million children struggle with hunger in the U.S. Over 2,000 juveniles are currently serving a life sentence without parole. Perhaps their actions could be linked to the fact that over 60% of children are exposed to violence in the U.S. Approximately 5 children die every day from abuse, 80% of whom are not yet old enough to start kindergarten. 2.5 million children are currently homeless and more than 400,000 are in foster care. Please know that there are also statistics of health and well-being and child prodigies to balance these statistics out. But for the sake of the view that I am presenting here, we ought to remember: if you force children to be born, you should be able to take care of them.
In terms of constituting policies, that is what this conversation comes down to. If this country and its citizens are unable to provide proper care for the inherently valuable gift of life that they already hold, what do they plan to do to support the lives of the average 1 million babies that are aborted each year? Many could argue that a hard life is better than no life at all, but I refuse to force that choice onto someone else. Unless you personally are going to provide care for each and every child, perhaps you shouldn’t try to force others to do the same.
You see, while I am not ‘pro-life’, I do not prescribe ‘pro-choice’ either. There really is no better choice here. I do not want to argue over life. We are not deserving to have, keep, or take it. Yet we make these choices every day, intentionally and ignorantly, in our social justice practices, our social welfare policies, our education systems, our employment opportunities, and every other nameable facet of society. If you want to change policies regarding abortion, you must be willing to change the circumstances in which abortion takes place.
These women are caught in near impossible circumstance. So I will not close my hands around a picket sign or hide myself behind a brightly colored scarf. I want to extend my hand for “the other” to hold through this immense pain. I will bare my neck to the cold stares of those who disagree with me about how to love a hurting world. Know that if you have your own perspective, I am not against you; I respect you. But from my point of view, until better support is provided, we need to continue to offer resources to those in need so that maybe a child can have a life, not just a birth.