Are We Really Pro-Life?
Isaiah 58:10-12 says:
(ESV) 10if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. 11And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. 12And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.
On April 24 and 25, 2007, I sat down in front of my television to watch the show “American Idol.” With great interest I watched not because I was going to vote for the next teen sensation, but because of the theme of the show, “American Idol Gives Back.” Both nights were dedicated to world hunger and the fight against HIV/AIDS, and many of today’s actors and music artist were involved in helping to raise money to help eradicate hunger and HIV/AIDS. Amazingly, by the time the two nights were over they had raised over $70 million. Many of the heart wrenching video clips showed the plight of children in Sub-Saharan Africa because of malnutrition and/or HIV/AIDS. Even though I have ministered many times on the Dark Continent, the troubles of these people always prick at my heart, and after going to bed I began to ponder what I had just witnessed. The next morning I had to make a trip about an hour and a half from my home, but the whole drive I just couldn’t stop thinking about the condition of the world and the desperate help that is needed.
Being active in humanitarian causes, I began to try and digest the statistics on the social ills of our society and the world. Just the week before, I had attended the International Food Aid Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, and heard some startling statistics. Consider these alarming statistics:
852 million people tonight will go to bed hungry
Every day almost 16,000 children die of hunger-related causes. That is 1 child every 5
seconds.
More than 1 billion people in the world live below the international poverty level which is less that $1 per day.
820 million people world wide are malnourished.
10.1 million Children will die before their fifth birthday.
In America there are 36 million people that are suffering from hunger. 12% of all Americans will go to bed suffering from hunger.
(2006 world health organization statistics)
There are an estimated 39.5 million people living with HIV/AIDS. This year there will be an estimated 4.3 million people infected with HIV.
There were 2.9 million deaths in 2006 because of AIDS. 380 thousand children died last year of AIDS.
Africa has nearly 12 million AIDS orphans. 48% of all of those living with HIV are woman.
(2006 world health organization statistics)
Over and over in my mind I thought, “My goodness how do we break this cycle?” I then began to think about the Church, and what her responsibility to these issues should be.
We in the Evangelical world have waved the banner for Right to Life for the last 20 plus years. Many of us even use this one issue as a litmus test on how we vote for our elected officials. I, like many of you, am pro-life. I know that over 40 million unborn babies have been murdered since Roe v. Wade. I have even preached against the sin of abortion, and how we are to support the sanctity of life. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks, “If we are going to be ‘pro life’, then we must be completely Pro Life.” As Evangelicals, we have spent a lot of time focusing of this issue, and revving up our emotions in our fight over the right of the unborn against a woman’s right to choose that child’s fate. Do not misunderstand me; I firmly believe that The Right to Life should be something that all Christians are passionate about. However, I do not believe that our fight should stop there, but continue to all people God has created all over the world.
Unfortunately, it seems that malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, and other social ills have not resonated within the Church. We claim to be the protectors of life, but it seems like the church has totally ignored those that are suffering from malnutrition and HIV/AIDS at home and abroad. Now before you assume that I am talking about a particular church or association, I am not. What I mean by “church”, is all of us who hold the true teaching of the Gospel in our hearts. How can we call ourselves pro-life yet allow 2.9 million people to die of HIV/AIDS this year without ever hearing of the great salvation of Jesus Christ. Today, 16,000 children died of hunger, and even more tragically, most of them left this world without knowing the true Bread of Life.
When people like Madonna and Bono, or any other modern day celebrity, are more willing to take the lead in helping to eradicate these horrible diseases than the Church of God, what does that say about our faithfulness to the spreading of the whole message of Christ? When the World Food Program, which is an arm of the United Nations, goes into a country with humanitarian relief, what do they have to offer other than their money or the donations others provide? The answers are that it says little about our true commitment to the spreading of the Gospel, and in saying little; it really says volumes about what we understand to be our true obligation to the Word of God.
So, what mark are we, as the Body of Christ, missing? Should we not be the ones who are taking the lead in spreading the awareness of these issues? I would offer to you that not only should we be leading the way in making all people aware of their moral responsibility to these causes, but according to scripture we have been mandated as Christians to reach out to all who are sick, hurting, and dying.
For many Christians I am afraid we have taken a fatalistic approach to these issues. There are some that will say that their lifestyle is a result of sinful living, and their diseases and misfortunes are God’s punishment on their depraved society. However, I challenge anyone to find that teaching in the Holy Scriptures. What we do see in Scripture however, is Jesus commanding us to live by, in His own words, the two greatest commandments. First, “To love the Lord our God with all are mind, all our heart and all our soul,” and second, “To love others as we love ourselves.” I find it even more fascinating that just two days before Jesus was to go to the cross, he would share this great truth with His disciples in Matthew 25:35-40, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ (ESV) Out of all the things He could have shared with His disciples, Jesus took the time to teach them that to have the true, genuine love of the Father, their love must overflow to all who are hurting, suffering, and lonely. Jesus in this passage lets us see His own heart, and His heart was one of compassion and mercy. Yet, we have stood by and let the unregenerate reach out with the care and compassion that we, as the Saints of God, should have been conveying all along. They are the ones that seem to care more about life than we who trust in the Giver of Life.
It is unfortunate that for many fundamental Baptist and Evangelicals we have thought of these issues as being “Liberal” issues. But do we actually believe that if Jesus were here in the flesh that He would not reach out to the hungry, poor, and those living with HIV/AIDS? These issues should not be about Republican or Democrat. The issues should be about how we, as a community of Faith in this new century, are going to minister to the needs of these countries and individuals. And moreover, how we are going to shape the way in which all others should care for these who are lost and hurting? We cannot and must not ignore the problems or issues of society today. Is this not what being a good steward of the earth is all about? Let these questions sink into your mind and meditate on them. How does your church help with ministering to the women who think abortion is their only option? Where does your church stand on the environment, and perhaps her need to protect it? Where does it stand on ministering to those living with HIV/AIDS? Where does it stand on reaching out to the millions who are suffering from malnutrition and starvation? Are you working locally to minister to these individuals? Are you putting the full Gospel of Christ into action?
The last question that must be asked is, “What is the danger if we do not respond to this calling?” Does God really care about these people, and from what text can we find a definitive example that He really does care, and therefore so should we? Well the answer is in the Minor Prophet Amos. In his book Amos writes in chapter 2 verses 6-7a, “Thus says the LORD: ‘For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals— those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth and turn aside the way of the afflicted; ….’” (ESV) Throughout the rest of the book Amos also gives examples of the lackadaisical and pompous attitudes of the Israelites, because during their great time of prosperity that even rivaled the prosperity of the time of Solomon, they neglected those among them that were poor and hurting. As a matter of fact this was one of the very reasons that God was about to cut off the Northern Kingdom, and turn them over to foreign invaders. In other words, God was punishing them for their blatant disregard of caring for the needy. Now how arrogant are we if we think that God will not judge us for the same sin? Remember, Israel was His chosen people of that day, just as the church is His chosen people in this day, and our election is not a pass on meeting the needs of those around us, but instead it is a mandate to show the same love to others that has been so undeservingly shown to us. Surely we know from the Holy Writ that Christ will not forsake or abandon His Bride, but we do realize that will be held accountable for our faithfulness to the Gospel of our Lord.
I am also reminded of a time in the life of Christ when He was questioned by the Pharisees about various calamities that had fallen upon certain nations, and if those calamities had been God’s judgment upon those people because of their lack of belief. Christ listened to their questions and responded, “No, I tell you; unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:5, ESV) The Gospel mandate is unmistakably obvious. First, it is the responsibility of all true believers to make every attempt at ministering to the needs of all people in your particular city. Second, it is also the responsibility of all true believers to meet the needs of those around the world who are hurting. Finally, if we do not seek to meet these needs of these people then we need to analyze the legitimacy of our conversion, or prepare for the judgment of God that will soon befall us. If we are undoubtedly Pro-Life, we will not stand for this gross negligence to continue. Instead, we must realize that for “such at time as this” God has placed us in this world to see the Glory of God spread throughout all the nations through our willingness to humble ourselves before God and not only help feed, medicate, cloth, or counsel these that have been mentioned, but also, and most importantly, bring the message of salvation to those who stand in most need of its comfort and security. This is not a work for those who have no hope for a future home after this life is over, but for us who lift up the Banner of Truth and proclaim the fast approaching coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. “May the Lamb that was slain, receive the reward of His suffering!”
