Do You Believe in the Sanctity of Life?
Growing up in a conservative Christian home, I knew the answer to this question. I passionately BELIEVED the answer to this question. Yes! I am, and have always been, pro-life. The Bible clearly tells us that life begins at conception and that each life is a precious gift from God. However, it is so easy to take the term “sanctity of life” at face value. It is easy to just let these three words affect your political vote and your opinion about certain issues. It is easy to only apply the term “sanctity of life” to a child in the womb. I know how easy it is because, if I'm being honest, this is where I was in my senior year of college. And it was good. I was part of a pro-life club and we advocated for children in the womb. We stood outside Planned Parenthoods and talked with people about resources. I believe that it honored God, and yet, my passion for the “sanctity of life” was so narrow, so compartmentalized.
According to the dictionary, “sanctity” refers to “the state of or quality of being holy, sacred, or saintly”. The term “holy” means to be set apart. Therefore, the belief in the sanctity of life is the belief that each life is sacred and set apart, specifically by God. Friend, allow me to share with you one of the most humbling and impactful moments in my life where God showed me that sincerely believing the truth of God isn’t just knowledge, it is daily action that will transform every aspect of your life.
I was in my senior year of college at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, and was almost finished with my bachelor’s degree in psychology. While in my final semester, I had the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica for a psychology internship studying human sex trafficking. Beginning my freshman year, God had put this issue on my heart. I had written numerous research papers and given speeches about human sex trafficking, but nothing compares to the experience of forming relationships with and truly seeing some of these precious girls and women.
During our time in Costa Rica, we spent several evenings serving at a type of soup kitchen for victims of human sex trafficking. We would go to a small, cement room along the busy streets of Zona Roja (The Red Zone), an area of drugs, weapons, murder, street fights, and prostitution to which the local authorities turn a blind eye. The staff there would feed anyone who wanted to come in for a meal and fellowship. Then, they would offer a worship service to follow as an alternative to a night on the streets.
On one of these nights, I met Isabella. Though her English was broken and my Spanish almost nonexistent, through the help of a translator, we were able to have a conversation. As we sat and ate, she told me about her life. She told me about being trafficked from another country when she was nine years old. She shared about the abuse and the constant degradation. She showed me literal bullet holes and scars on her body and told me the stories that came with them. She explained to me some of the day-to-day hardships and the constant desperation that this crime industry perpetuates. This was all she had ever known. This was the only “job” she had ever had. Isabella was in her 60s.
She spoke to me with a smile, but I could see through the coping mechanism. I could see the pain through the window of her eyes. All I could do was listen to her story. I could only share a few precious minutes showing her that I cared, telling her that Jesus loves her and wants to have a saving relationship with her.
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After a little bit, she got up and rushed to the back of the room. I was confused, unsure why she so randomly disappeared. When she came back, she handed me a folded tissue with the word “vulnerabilidad” scribbled in pen. She looked at me with pleading eyes, the only time she stopped smiling, and told me, “This is us. We are vulnerable. Don't forget about us. When you go back, don't forget that we are vulnerable.”
I cannot adequately express to you in words my emotions in that moment. I nodded through the tears, looked into her eyes, and promised her I would never forget. I would never forget that they are vulnerable. I would never forget her.
We talked some more, but as the streets grew louder with nighttime activity, many of the women trickled out. Isabella was one of them. Although some of my team members and I asked her to stay and worship with us, she declined with a smile and told us that she had to go. I hugged her and told her goodbye. I told her I would pray for her. Then I watched as this precious, older woman went out into The Red Zone.
I never saw Isabella again, but I will never forget my time with her. With one conversation, she completely shattered my walls of complacency and blissful ignorance. Despite all of her hardships and pain, her one request was that she not be forgotten.
And isn’t that what we all crave? To be known. To be a part of something special. To know that our life has a purpose and a meaning. To be remembered. To be truly and deeply loved. And that’s the beauty of our Creator. He created us to know Him and to be known by Him.
John 17:3: “Now this is eternal life: that They know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.”
To love Him and to be loved by Him.
Proverbs 8:17: “I love those who love Me, and those who seek Me find Me.”
He created us for a purpose beyond our wildest imaginations. He created us to make a difference. He created us to be light. And as the darkness grows, His light shines brighter - we shine brighter. Because in Him is light and there is no darkness (1 John 1:5). As believers in Christ, it is our privilege and our joy to be able to share that light and love with others. Not only are we called to share life, but we are called to defend it.
Proverbs 31:8-9: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
Is there a more basic right than the right to life? There is so much oppression of life. In the womb. In the human trafficking crime industry. In brothels in other countries. In our neighborhoods. Behind closed doors and sometimes in plain sight. It can be disheartening and overwhelming to think about. But just like Moses encouraged Joshua, if we are living as warriors for Christ, we can have complete confidence knowing that God goes before us.
Deuteronomy 31:8: “The Lord is the One who will go before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”
He will guide us. He will show us how and when He wants to use us. We just have to be ready. We have to be willing. And we have to keep our hearts tender towards the Father. Only then will we see life as He does – as sanctified. We are not called to be the savior. We are called to SERVE the Savior.
God has taught me what it means to believe in the sanctity of life. We are surrounded by life. We are surrounded by sacred and beautiful creations of God. I want to live how He has called me to live. I want to live sanctified. This calling to live set apart is the most fulfilling and beautiful purpose I have ever been given. It means loving others - everyone. It means seeing beyond the surface. It means valuing each and every precious person. It means praying for them. It means reaching out to them at every opportunity God gives me. It means loving them unconditionally. It means being patient with the cashier and looking the homeless man in the eyes. It means standing up against injustice and walking boldly into the messy and the difficult situations. It means giving Jesus every single day of my life for His pleasure and glory. It means looking into the eyes of Isabellas and saying, “There is a God who created you. He loves you. He knows you. And He wants you to know Him. He wants to heal you. He wants to restore you. He wants to use you for His glory. He wants to have a deep, meaningful, personal, eternal relationship with you. And I would love to introduce you.”
Because that is the key to true life, a relationship with Christ. Seeing that every life that God has created is sanctified. We are all created to be holy and set apart. We all have this God-given desire to love and be loved. We were created to be relational, because it reminds us of our need for Jesus and His love. Because His love gives meaning to life. His love will satisfy. His love will save. And His love reminds us to value and hold sacred every single life.
