Will You Love This Child?
Recently I've been involved in a number of conversations here in Ithaca between other faith leaders, the Department of Social Services and a family court judge. We are jointly seeking a way to better care for the children in foster care. Children who have been removed from their birth parents due to neglect or abuse. The stories the judge has shared are incredibly heartbreaking. I am glad churches and synagogues are seeking ways to partner with the State in caring for these children.
One of the most powerful books I have ever read was about a pregnant woman who was told the child she was carrying had a very rare defect that would result in malformed lungs. If she chose to carry the child to term the child would be in a lot of pain during delivery and would die very soon after birth.
She and her husband wrestled with the ethical implications. Both were Christians and felt abortion was a sin - but..... would a termination of the pregnancy actually be more loving in this case? Seeing as it would spare the child further suffering?
As she pondered, prayed and wrestled through this dilemma, a breakthrough came. God said to her:
"I have given you a hurting and dying child. Will you love her for me?"
After that the decision was not about ethics, it was about love.
She carried the child.
God did not heal the child.
The child died in utero and therefore was actually spared suffering.
And for 9 months the mother, father and 2 siblings were united in a fierce love of their tiny fellow family member who they would never get to meet this side of heaven.
Today, I came from a meeting where I heard really hard stories like children who are born addicted to opioids and have to go through a painful withdrawal. And I felt like God was telling the church:
There is a whole generation of hurting, lonely and scared children in this world.
Will you love them for me?
Will we?
One of the most powerful books I have ever read was about a pregnant woman who was told the child she was carrying had a very rare defect that would result in malformed lungs. If she chose to carry the child to term the child would be in a lot of pain during delivery and would die very soon after birth.
She and her husband wrestled with the ethical implications. Both were Christians and felt abortion was a sin - but..... would a termination of the pregnancy actually be more loving in this case? Seeing as it would spare the child further suffering?
As she pondered, prayed and wrestled through this dilemma, a breakthrough came. God said to her:
"I have given you a hurting and dying child. Will you love her for me?"
After that the decision was not about ethics, it was about love.
She carried the child.
God did not heal the child.
The child died in utero and therefore was actually spared suffering.
And for 9 months the mother, father and 2 siblings were united in a fierce love of their tiny fellow family member who they would never get to meet this side of heaven.
Today, I came from a meeting where I heard really hard stories like children who are born addicted to opioids and have to go through a painful withdrawal. And I felt like God was telling the church:
There is a whole generation of hurting, lonely and scared children in this world.
Will you love them for me?
Will we?
Comments