Sanctity of Life

Almost twenty years ago now, John Paul II reflected on our society and our culture.  In his observation he deemed it the 'Culture of Death.'  For John Paul II he called to task the violent society, the complacency in regards to poverty, the abortion mentality, and the cause to speed up the dying process.  In all of this the Pontiff decried the lack of respect and dignity for human life.  John Paul challenged our society to live according to a culture of life. 

And today as we look back at a time when abortion was made simple, and the advocacy for greater access t abortion today, we recognize the post modern mind-set which seeks an immediate response to an immediate want or desire.  Death and destruction can be renamed or categorized if it makes our day to day life easier and less complex.  Way back in the '70s the concern of peoples in the Pro Life areas was that, easy abortion would lead to the diminishing of a respect for life in other areas.  Of course the pro-abortion people stated that this would never happen.  Thirty years later we have the sequence of abortions later in life, the debated over ending life for the elderly and developmentally disabled is quietly going on, all the while we consider procreation and embryos as if they were things, and not related to humanity.

To be sure the larger picture that we need to consider today is the runaway violence that we observe today throughout the world, in addition to the growing body of men, women, and children, who live in poverty.  The adage which we used back in the sixties have a tremendous amount of relevance today, "If you want peace, work for justice."  We have reached a point whereas we can no longer ignore the very deep and human issues surrounding poverty and the lack of the basic needs of human dignity and respect.

Back in the Day, Ezra gathered the community of faith, and had the covenant read to them.  We need to recall that men and women are made in the image and likeness of God.  Unless pain or difficulty affects us personally we tend to ignore the brokenness of human life around us.  "Am I my brother's keeper?"  God answers yes, we are set as stewards over all of creation.  Part of our task is to nurture and protect all life, everywhere, and at all times.  Life is sacred.