BoppWeBlog

Most everyone would say they believe in the sanctity of life. Why then, when it comes to our political parties, does one side pick some areas and not others? There are many issues here in America that I believe fall in this category (all of which I’ll write about separately). Abortion. Capital Punishment. War.

What puzzles me is why Democrats can claim concern for life by citing the war and the tragedy of lost lives. And democrats talk about capital punishment and the inhumanity of it, especially in a western society. But they don’t address abortion. They ambiguously brush against it in conversation, very careful to avoid that road. How could you not? I’ll be the first to agree that it is far from a simple problem with a simple solution. It’s not just overturning Roe V Wade. It’s a huge toxic problem in our culture. But discussion does need to take place, and the problem DOES need to be addressed.

The same applies to the GOP. They will debate to no end, the issue of abortion. But why not talk about capital punishment? An eye for an eye? Come on… This doesn’t even begin so solve or rectify any problem related to serious and violent crimes. More on that later…

The same goes for war. ‘Though shalt not murder’. Doesn’t this mean killing in any form? Or are there ‘loop holes’? There appear to be in the minds of many Americans.

I guess my point is - if we’re going to talk about one area with regards to the value of life, then in order to be valid we should talk about all areas. It seems like the only credible thing to do. We can’t pick and choose. Props to both sides for taking up the issues, but it sure would be nice to all agree, or at least engage in conversation all the issues.

One thing that I’m glad to see get a lot of attention lately, at least in my circle, is the element of love. It seems really simple. But is it? As a follower of Jesus Christ love should be at the center of everything I do. I use the word love all the time. I love my wife. I love Jesus. And I love…. cake? It’s obvious that to really take love seriously it means living a pretty radical life. Like, well… Jesus did. What made him so amazing was his demonstration of ultimate love, and through that, ultimate peace.

Love means not being angry with someone in traffic. It means NOT condemning others, another church or denomination, those who hurt you, and those who hurt others. After all, if we really believe that God loves everyone… the murderer, the slave owner, the sex trafficker, the sex offender, then shouldn’t we love these people also? And not just say it, but believe it. This doesn’t mean being passive, turning a blind eye to wrongdoing, or doing nothing to stop evil. It does mean looking past what a person has done and seeing that person as a person. Not us and them, but just ‘us’. All humans face incredibly hard elements of life and cope in different ways. Some ways are more terrible and destructive than others.

I’m lucky to live close to and attend Mars Hill here in Grand Rapids. The way I feel about making the element of love a huge priority in my life is largely due to the teaching and community of M.H. and Rob Bell. These ideas of love aren’t new to me, my church, or my community. Throughout history there have been great people whose lives were obviously centered around love. MLK, Ghandi. If I can even do a fraction of what these men did… wow. As a christian I must take love seriously. After all, if living the way Jesus did is ultimately the best way to live, why wouldn’t I want to live like him?