One of the struggles many of us younger Christians have with the “pro-life” debate is not abortion—we agree that abortion is wrong. Our difficulty is that the term “pro-life” implies so much more to us from a Jesus perspective. If we are pro-life then we are:-Anti-abortion: We believe that all human life is in the “image of God” and therefore sacred regardless of its age or form. God saved Israel from their forced abortions in Egypt and Jesus’ life was nearly aborted by Herod before God led his family to safety.
-Anti-death penalty: God can redeem anyone. Leave grace and hope in your justice ultimatums. We cannot kill and forgive, let alone achieve reconciliation. Jesus says anger is murder.
-Anti-guns: We cannot “love our enemies” with a shotgun to the face. We cannot kill and forgive, let alone achieve reconciliation. Jesus says anger is murder.
-Anti-war: We cannot “love our enemies” with a shotgun to the face. We cannot kill and forgive, let alone achieve reconciliation. Jesus says anger is murder.
-Pro-black lives and pro-all-minorities: The entire book of Acts and beyond has a main drive on equality, defeating racism and focusing on people outside of your own race.
-Pro-refugees: Jesus and his family were refugees who had to hide from local politicians by fleeing the area. Not to mention how often the Old Testament calls us to take care of sojourners in the land.
-Pro-poor: When someone asked Jesus for a coin, he didn’t have one, just like a poor person. He had “no place to lay his head,” just like a homeless person. He told rich people to sell all their stuff and give to the poor. He told us that if we were headed to Heaven, we would serve the lowest among us. When our lives are about the quality and conditions of the poor, they’re about Jesus.
-Anti-me-first: The life of Jesus was all about self-sacrificial love for the other—even at the cost of his own life. Even if they were his enemies. Even if they were literally nailing him down to a piece of wood.
-We could go on, but there’s enough blueprint here to get the point. When our life is not about the other—whether they be friend or enemy, born or unborn—we are not being pro-life.
This is the struggle for us. Our system does not hand us the opportunity to be fully pro-life from a Jesus perspective, so we are required to live out Jesus’ pro-life directions in our personal lives every day.
The Bible’s perspective does not match Republicans or Democrats. Neither Trump nor Biden meet the standards of the fullness of pro-life. Only Jesus is the answer. But that being said, if your political pro-life checklist only checks one pro-life box, you might wanna look over the list again.
Jamin Bradley 