Heartbreaking Milestone

1,000,000 Americans… one million of our neighbors lost to COVID19… what a heartbreaking milestone.  Think about their sons and daughters, their brothers and sisters, their husbands, wives, parents, and friends… so many grieving neighbors… some of them here at Lenape Valley.  And lest we see this as just an American grief, we must remember the 15 million lives lost around the world.  The number is so vast it is hard to comprehend, leaving us numb and disconnected with the tragedy.  But to those who have lost a loved one, that number breaks down to one precious life at a time.  In Genesis 1, God establishes the value of life, not measured by accomplishment, position in society, or relationship, but valued solely because each life is created in the Image of God- the Imago Dei.  God’s imprint on each life defines that life as infinitely precious.  In the last two years, this pandemic as stolen away 15 million reflections of God’s image on this earth.

During that same time-period, over 18 million precious lives have been lost to hunger related disease.  COVID deaths have claimed one headline after another these past two years, but the starving has faded away without notice.  Imagine if you woke up this morning to the following headline: “One Hundred Jetliners Crash, Killing 26,500.”  Think of the chaos that would ensue as governments convened to respond to such a tragedy.  Think of the avalanche of media coverage, air travel halted, lives impacted across the globe.  Now imagine if tomorrow you woke to the same headline… another tragedy of unimaginable proportions… another 26,500 precious lives lost.  It is unthinkable that so many lives could be lost in just one day, yet today every 5 seconds a child will die of hunger related disease…. and another… and another… and another…  Each life created in the Imago Dei, and yet we do not even note their passing.

When did life become so cheap?

This week the question of life has taken center stage as the media plays out the drama of a leaked draft of a Supreme Court Opinion.  It points to the possibility that the Court could decide to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Court decision that opened the door to abortion rights 50 years ago.  Protests have erupted on either side of the debate, calling themselves Pro-Life and Pro-Choice, each claiming the high ground of valuing life… some the life of the unborn… some the life of the mother.  I have read more articles and opinions than I care to count, all of them leaving me wondering what it really means to “value life” in 2022.

So today, I am turning back to God’s Word.  Genesis 1 calls us to value every life, each one created in the Imago Dei.  God’s Word does not give us any exceptions.  That imprint of God’s image is the indelible mark that we dare not erase.  Yet, we erase it every day with our indifference.  Jesus’ parable of the sheep and the goats reminds us that “whatever we do for the least of these, we do for Jesus.”  We ought to see in the eyes of a hungry child- the eyes of Jesus.  We ought to see in the eyes of a child without clean water to drink- the eyes of Jesus.  We ought to see in the eyes of a homeless man- the eyes of Jesus.  We ought to see in the eyes of those without good healthcare- the eyes of Jesus.  We ought to see in the eyes of a prisoner (the guilty one)- the eyes of Jesus.  Healthcare, Education, Housing, Ecology, Economics, Justice… the list could go on… are all “pro-life” issues.  We cannot say that we care about the unborn unless we are willing to be there for that child for every day after birth.  If you are starting to see dollar signs, you are right.  To be “pro-life”, to value the precious lives created in the Imago Dei, is an expensive proposition.

Today, as you read this letter, my husband is undergoing cancer surgery.  We did our research to find the top robotic surgeon in the city, and the top surgical hospital to support his care.  We have made one decision after another, without once considering the cost, because we have good health insurance.  (I am the one who carries the health insurance for our family, so thank you Lenape Valley for the benefits you provide!)  And thankfully, we have the financial wherewithal to cover the deductible expenses that can be surprisingly high.  I know that through Greg’s cancer journey he will have the best care in the country.  But even as we are thankful for that provision, we are painfully aware that our neighbors are not all so blessed.  How is it that we live in the land of plenty, but some go without?  By all practical measures, in this country we value some lives more than others.

The need is overwhelming, the challenges beyond measure.  How could we even begin to value all the precious lives God has created?  The answer- One life at a time… When you bring dry goods to Lenape Valley (yes the need still exists!), when you donate to the Anniversary Mission Project to build a House of Refuge in Souderton, when you put your hands to a CHLB project, when you call a lonely friend, when you vote for those who will fight for the “least of these”, when you treat the cashier at the grocery store with respect, when you gracefully listen to another’s opposing point of view… each time, each life valued as one created in the Imago Dei.  The hallmark of our ministry at Lenape Valley has been your willingness to be that mission of Jesus Christ to the world God so loves.  I am privileged to share that mission with you, valuing one life at a time.

With you on the mission field,
Anita