In celebration for my husband’s birthday, we told him to pick the movie of his choice that we would watch together as a family. He pulled out an old John Wayne war movie. In this movie, the enemy planes were bombing a children’s hospital. The nurses were holding and calming the children as they all huddled under beds. You could see the fear in the eyes of the adults as they calmly told the children it would be alright. The children found comfort in the strength of those stronger adults.
I started thinking how it is our duty in life, as the adults, to be stronger for our children. When the scary noises happen in the night, it is our job as adults to comfort those little ones. When they are sick, we soothe and tell them they are going to be okay. When the thunder is cracking and the lightening flashing, we calm them by teaching them weather and keeping their minds busy with science and not fear. This is so easy when we think of it in this way – an adult soothing a child.
But there is so much more where the strong should help protect the weak! What about the stronger kid sticking up for the kids that are bullied? What about the speaking up for the woman who is being verbally or emotionally abused? How about the child with special needs that is getting ignored and sidelined? How about someone who is racist and cannot love someone of another color? How about the unborn baby, still helpless in its mother’s womb? What about the disabled who are not strong enough yet to speak up for themselves? What about the elderly who can be killed off so that they will not put a burden on their families? I could go on and on!
You know, in most of these areas, we let the weak win. It is a weak person who would pick on the weaker or different kid in school. It is a weak man who would hurt a woman in any way. It is a weak group who cannot see the value that special needs kids bring to life. It is a weak person who would judge a person by their skin color. It is being weak to not speak up for those who are either too young, or too hurt, or too weak to speak up for themselves. It is weak to trade the life of any human for the “easier” life of the strong.
We have become experts at finding reasons to say nothing. Absolutely nothing.
“I would like to defend that kid, but then the bully might pick on me, or the other kids will think I am stupid for defending the totally not cool kid!”
“I don’t want to say anything, because then he may just make her life more miserable.”
“I would like to go talk to that mom of that kid, but I would not really no what to say. I hope they find a way to be included.”
“Well, I’m not racist, but that person is so vocal about it, I don’t want to rock the boat or make them mad or anything. I have friends of different colors so I feel pretty good about it.”
“I know people that have had abortions. I don’t want to upset them. Maybe they are just little blobs with no feelings and it really is okay. And what about women that have been raped? We need to think about them! They should not have to deal with a child on top of everything else. I have decided this is how I will think about this. It is much more comfortable.”
“The disabled? Well, my goodness, they get all they need from the government. Do you know how expensive it is to put in ramps or accessible restrooms? I am not trying to be mean or anything, but I mean, we can’t redo everything for one person! I am sorry they are missing out. Maybe they should find a hobby they will enjoy.”
Am I being extreme in some of these excuses? Maybe. But you can fill in your own blanks as you think through every single example I gave, and what would your answer be? If you answer anything besides being strong and defending the weak, then you are shirking your duty as a human being.
I cannot state this strong enough.
I cannot, or will not, defend ANY weak, if I cannot or will not defend ALL the weak.
Who gets to decide the value of strong vs. weak? People like Hitler? He didn’t like Jews…or the disabled. He had them killed! Do we let him decide the value of humans? What about the Muslims? Should we allow them to determine the value of women…or little girls who get married off as children? What about the sex slave trade? Should they choose the value of children? What about the bully? Does he decide the value of who should get picked on or not? What about the medical field? Do they get to pick when you should live or die? Is it okay just because you are still inside a body instead of outside of it? Do they get to decide when the elderly will be more trouble than worth? Do they get to decide because you have broken your neck and they do not think you will have much value in society anymore so they choose not to save your life in trauma? We are okay with some of that, and are appalled by others! Why?! Because we have let others decide and TELL us the value system we are supposed to follow – this sliding scale of value – that picks who the weak are or who the strong are. The evolutionist, Charles Darwin, called it the survival of the fittest. How terrifying is that?!
Are we sure we really want that? I am SO sympathetic to that woman who has been raped and now has a child that will enter the world. But why, of why, would we, as stronger adults, determine that the value of that mother is MORE than the value of that child? I have never been able to understand that. Before you get offended at what I am saying, here me out.
I was not in a rape situation, but when I became paralyzed, the option of treating me taking a priority over the safety of my baby was definitely on the table with my medical doctors. “We need to take this baby at 20 weeks, so we can treat you aggressively so that we can fight off this paralysis as much as possible.” You know what was at stake? Asking my baby to be strong for me. NO way. I would rather be paralyzed the rest of my life, than to risk the health of my little weaker baby. That is my duty. So, I get it. I really do. I get the hard decisions. I get the decisions that will very likely affect the rest of your life. I get not being asked to be put in this position and having to make these decisions. But life…all life…has the same value. Plain and simple. It is all on the same even line. There are no “more valued life” choices. To believe otherwise, is to ultimately put your own life in jeopardy as you wait until someone now views you as the lesser one!
I am a believer in God. As a believer in God, I know that every single life is important to Him. Anything that evil wants to through our way, He can restore it and make something beautiful out of it. Mostly, I am so thankful because His value system is not ours. He doesn’t pick the strongest or the most fit or the toughest. He actually says that it is in our weakness that He can use us. And it is through that, we are strong. That comforts me.
Because of who I am in Him, I am one of the strong. This gal sitting in a wheelchair has value. I am strong because of all of my million weaknesses. Because I am one of the strong, I have a duty. A duty to take a stand for the weak.
Because I am strong, I will defend the bullied. But, I will also reach out to the bully because he is also weak and needs help.
Because I am strong, I will speak up against marital abuse. I will help hold the hands of those who are afraid to move alone. But, I will also help those abusers and rescue them from themselves before they destroy their lives.
Because I am strong, I will include all children. I will encourage all children. I will love all children. My family will make a point to love and include and invite all children. But, I will also encourage other families to do the same! Get to know, understand, cheer and come alongside those you do not understand. Then you will understand.
Because I am a strong person, I will see people as God sees them. Not as a skin color, but inside their souls. But, I will remind those who are looking at all the wrong things to get their focus where it should be.
Because I am strong, I will never stop speaking up for those precious little babies inside the womb. I will never forget feeling them kick and only being separated by a few inches of my flesh. They are alive. Inside my body where once again, my strength keeps their weak and growing bodies alive. Those babies will grow up and thank you for being stronger for them…even though you felt so very weak. My son loves me to tell the story how I chose him. But, I will never stop trying to reach out in love to those who are considering an abortion because they feel they have no other options. There are options and because I am the strong one, I should be there to help walk them through this valley.
Because I am strong, I will speak up for the disabled. I will help them in daily matters of life, political policy, and unfair treatment. But, I will also speak up to educate, inform and make aware the realities of life so that others can be strong for them also.
This world needs strong people. We need only one reference to decide the value of humanity. For me, the Creator of life has already set that value in place. I will agree with Him.
Because I am weak, God uses me to be strong. Will you let Him use you too?
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