On: ABORTION - and - DISAGREEING WELL.

As a human and a Christian, I have general thoughts on dialoguing with people I disagree with, because living in 2022 means you can’t and won’t agree with everyone: 

• I think Jesus was willing to listen, learn, and ask questions - and we should be too. (See Luke 2:46).

• I think Jesus picked his battles wisely. He often backed down from fights (see Matthew 17:24-27, 26:52-56; Mark 8:11-13; John 10:39); but, sometimes, He fought fights worth fighting (John 2:13-17). We should pick our battles wisely too.

• I think Jesus was very careful with the emotion of anger - and we should be very careful too (see Matthew 5:22).

• I think Jesus was kind, but also vocal about His sense of truth - and we should be too (see Matthew 23; John 5:14-15, 8:11).

• I think Jesus shared meals with people He disagreed with on all sorts of topics - religion, sexuality, and morality (to name a few) - because all humans are worthy of dignity - and we should too (see Luke 7:36; John 4:1-45; Luke 19:1-10).

• I think Jesus loved and healed disabled and ‘dirty’ humans, because all humans are worthy of dignity - and we should too (see Matthew 8:1-4, 15:29-31).

• I think Jesus could disagree with people, friends, and family yet still love them - and we can too (see Mark 10:21–22; and juxtapose Mark 3:21/ John 19:26-27).

• I think Jesus didn’t label people based simply on their bad ideas or failures - and neither should we (juxtapose Matthew 16:23/ John 21:15-19; juxtapose Acts 15:36-41/ 2 Timothy 4:11).

• I think life can be really complicated and painful and nightmarish sometimes (see Mark 5:2-5; 7:25-26; Luke 8:43-48, 9:38-40) - and sometimes abortion can look like the only option.

• I think Jesus requires that His followers show each other the dignity rebuking one another privately before making it public (see Matthew 18:15-17).

• I think Jesus knew the difference between genuinely curious dialoguers (see John 3:1-14, 4:9-10; Mark 10:17-22, 12:28-34; Acts 16:30), and agenda-driven dialoguers (see Matthew 22:15-17, 23-28; Luke 11:53-54).

• I think Jesus accepted that sometimes He’d be unfollowed (see John 6:54-71), misunderstood (see Matthew 11:25-27; Luke 2:49-51, 9:43b-45; John 12:16), rejected, hated, mocked, and worse (see Luke 4:16-30; John 15:18-25; Matthew 27:24-44) for His ideas.

• I think people rarely change their opinion on an issue after being yelled at, mocked, or belittled (see Proverbs 15:1).

• I think kindness can be transformative, healing, and rare (see Romans 2:4).

• I think we should be slow to anger, slow to speak, and quick to listen (see James 1:19).

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As a Christian, who believes the Bible is true (and presents sexual and moral ethics that are radically rigorous and difficult to live by), I have thoughts on unborn humans:

• I think God made all humans with inestimable value (see Genesis 1:27).

• I think sex is designed by God to be both a good gift and a serious responsibility - not just one or the other (see Genesis 1:28).

• I think God loves all humans (see John 3:16).

• I think growing humans are living humans (see Luke 1:41-42; Exodus 21:22-25).

• I think God loves unborn humans and is meticulously invested their growth and development (see Psalm 139:13-16; Job 31:5; Jeremiah 1:5).

• I think humans killing humans is wrong (see Exodus 20:13).

• I think humans killing unborn humans is wrong (see Exodus 21:22-25).

• I think humans killing unborn humans on a national level is twisted (see 2 Kings 8:12).

• I think children are a blessing (see Psalm 127:3-5).

• I think killing a child in order to avoid discomfort or inconvenience (or in attempt to secure comfort or convenience) or because of pressure (from a god, another human, or cultural system) is wrong (see Ezekiel 16:20-23, 36).

• I think there are different “kinds of homicide” (see Deuteronomy 17:8).

• I think Jesus doesn’t always label people based on their worst decision or mistake (see Matthew 16:23/ John 21:15-19; Acts 15:36-41/ 2 Timothy 4:11).

• I think God doesn’t treat humans the way their sins deserve (see Psalm 103:10).

• I think Jesus’ teachings rearranges how we’re expected us to punish people and treat enemies (juxtapose Exodus 21:22-25/ Matthew 5:38-48).

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As the father of 2 deceased unborn babies (miscarriages) and one newborn baby (5-weeks-old, who carries half my DNA, whose movements I felt while he was in the womb, and whose birth I watched every moment of), I have thoughts on unborn humans:

• I think a growing human being is a living human being.

• I think human life is very valuable.

• I think unborn girls and boys shouldn’t be treated like their bodies don’t matter - by their mom, their dad, or their parents’ doctor.

• I think unborn humans have the right to live.

• I think unborn humans shouldn’t be terminated against their will.

• I think terminating unborn humans is wrong.

• I think the medical community should do everything within their power to save mothers and unborn babies when pregnancy is complicated.

• I think society should provide all the resources and support it can for mothers (and fathers) who desire to keep their unborn baby, but who find themselves in difficult life circumstances.

• I think society should provide all the resources and support it can for mothers (and fathers) who do NOT desire to keep their unborn baby, but also don’t want to kill their unborn baby.

• I think pregnancy and birth are indescribably beautiful and incomprehensibly complex - providing some of the best proof for the divine.

• I think abortion-survivors (whose parents attempted to abort them, but failed) deserve a bigger voice in this conversation.

• I think those who aborted children, but come later to regret the decision, deserve a bigger voice in this conversation.

• I think killing unborn humans should be as illegal as killing full-grown humans, because both are human - valuable and worthy of dignity and life.

• I think it's possible to advocate for both women's rights over their own bodies AND to advocate for unborn babies' rights to life. But this requires taking a stand against abortion.

• I think the only qualification you need to advocate for any other human being's dignity, respect, and right to life is that you must also be a human being (you can be a man, woman, child, eunuch, asexual, whatever).

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I grieve with those who have lost unborn babies for whatever reason, and understand that pregnancy's circumstances can be indescribably painful, complicated, and nightmarish. I’ll listen to you and I’ll love you, even if we disagree. You are human too. You deserve dignity. We are more than our worst moments. We are all made by and loved by God.

Videos of my "Family"

***COVID has made me think of whether “watching church” is the same thing as “going to church”… or more to the point - “being the church.” It makes me think of someone who watches videos of their family once a week, but never actually sees their family… wouldn’t that be a tragedy?***

…

I watch a video of my family once a week…

… And you’re probably thinking: “You mean you video-chat with your family once a week, right?”

No. I mean I watch a video OF my family once a week. 

… And you’re probably thinking: “Oh, they must live really far away or something?” 

No. They are 5 minutes from me.

… And you’re probably thinking: “Then you also visit them sometimes too, right?”

Well, my Dad comes over regularly. But I don’t visit. Not unless I really need something - or one of my siblings really needs something. I guess I’m saying that if I visit them it’s got to be for a really good reason. I avoid large family gatherings at all costs.

… And you’re probably thinking: “Well, those must be some really awesome family videos then…” 

No. Not really. They’re almost all the same. Exactly the same length. Kind of predictable, if I’m honest. My brother talks for a half-hour every time. There are better speakers on YouTube.

… And you’re probably thinking: “Doesn’t that get boring?” 

Yes. For sure. But my couch is comfortable. And my PJ’s are comfortable. And seeing my family is just not comfortable.

… And you’re probably thinking: “Did your family do something that hurt you?”

No. I mean, I’ve been hurt - but nothing normal families don’t go through. My family’s not perfect.

… And you’re probably thinking: “Then is there something physically wrong with you?” 

No. Well - I was afraid for a while that I’d get really sick. But I’m not afraid of that anymore.

… And you’re probably thinking: “So you just don’t like your family, then?”

No, no, no… I like them - really I do… 

… And you’re probably thinking: “That must break your Father’s heart!” 

… No. How?

…“Because the Head of your family had to die to adopt you into your family (Eph. 1:3-10). Because family unity means so much to Him (Ps. 133). Because one of His last prayers before He died was that you and your siblings would be completely united (Jn. 17:20-23). That’s what I’m thinking.” 

Heaps of Justice

Justice. I want justice. A flood of it. A heap, a mess, a mass of it. For the world to look the way it’s supposed to. For everyone to treat everyone else like they’re made and loved by God. For every human to treat this planet like it was made by and belongs to God.

But then I look at myself and realize I’m part of the reason things are not right. I treat people, at times, like God didn’t make them in His image. I treat the planet, at times, like God didn’t call it “good.” I need justice to break out in me first. Right now. Right here. Then in my neighbor. Then in my nation.

To be clear - God is concerned about a crooked nation.
But He’s also concerned about a crooked town in that crooked nation.
And a crooked house in that crooked town.
And a crooked man in that crooked house.
And a crooked heart in that crooked man.
And that crooked heart is mine.
And my crooked heart needs justice - though I am often too prideful to admit it.

This heart needs to be pressed, pruned, scrubbed, scoured, worked and washed by God until it begins to produce the fruit of justice.
My log-eye needs justice so that I can help my neighbor’s speck-eye.
So that I can align what’s misaligned in my crooked house.
So that I can sweep oppression from the streets in my crooked town.
So that I can cure injustice in my crooked nation.

And when my nation fills with people who have hearts that crave justice within, then we’ll humbly pursue justice without. When I look at my lying neighbor I’ll admit, “I could have lied too.” When I look at my thieving neighbor I’ll admit “I could have stolen too.” When I look at my killing neighbor I’ll admit, “I could have killed too.” Then justice will flow like frigging rivers.

I want justice for every man, woman, child, beast, and bug. Everyone’s crookedness straightened. Everyone‘s wrongs made right. Criminals punished. Victims restored in full. Retribution for the bad guy. Restoration for the little guy. I want justice. But now I know that the justice that breaks the curse is the justice that breaks out in me first. The justice that rolls over the heart that beats in my chest.