Every life is a gift from God

Nora and Xavier   

The casket was small and white, adorned with a floral display. This graveside service was my first and there were only a few in attendance: the grandmother, the uncle (a young boy), the eleven-year-old mother of the stillborn infant, and a couple of others.

The mom had been living in a maternity home, intending to give up her child for adoption. Her social worker told me she cried as she packed her belongings which included her coloring book and crayons. I did not know the circumstances surrounding her pregnancy. I only knew that a precious child was dead and there was a lot of pain and suffering.

Not all pregnancies turn out in ways that result in rejoicing, but all children have value. I did not know the family but was blessed to bring dignity and recognition of the child’s value to God at this moment of unfathomable grief.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart…” Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV)

Nora was eighteen, unmarried, and five and a half months pregnant when an ultrasound revealed that her child had limb deformities. Medical professionals encouraged her to get an abortion but, when she felt the baby move, that became out of the question.

The extent of disfigurement was unknown, and the doctors anticipated brain damage and internal deformities. But other than missing the lower part of his arms and legs, Xavier was born strong and healthy and grew up to graduate from college, have a job, drive an adaptive car and own his own home. When Nora saw first him, she said, “I just wanted to protect him.”

Must children be flawless to be wanted and loved? In 1982, a baby was born in Indiana with Down Syndrome and a disconnected esophagus. The parents refused to authorize the surgery and allowed the baby to starve to death. It took him six days to die.

Two young men in our congregation, Angel and Alex have Down Syndrome. They are well loved and give love as well, and they are most definitely wanted. One parent of a down syndrome child, who had four other typically abled children, told me that it was this little girl who taught him what it meant to love a child unconditionally.

I know some mothers who would die for their child and some who would not. Tim Tebow’s mother was experiencing a difficult pregnancy and was encouraged by the doctors to have an abortion because her health was at risk and the baby was expected to be stillborn or severely disabled. She carried that baby and well you know the rest.

“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a real blessing”. Psalm 127:3 (GNT)

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Tim Tebow, Easter and the cross

Tim Tebow has done many great things in his young life. He won the Heisman Trophy, two college championships, was a first round draft pick and led the Denver Broncos to an unexpected playoff win. Off the field, he is a champion, too, answering his critics with politeness and grace and giving his time to work with disabled children.

His greatest accomplishment, however, is Tebowing. His simple act of bowing in prayer after a touchdown spread like wildfire and people all over the world were mimicking his reverent posture. He created a meme. A meme is an idea, behavior or style that spreads from person to person within a culture. Organizations of all types spend a lot of money in an attempt to create a meme.

Tebow created a Christian meme; a rare occurrence in our culture where we are more likely to imitate culture than to impact it. One example is the way t-shirt merchants take a well known secular brand and change the words in clever manner to create a religious message. (Intel inside becomes Jesus inside.)

Many churches today try to create a meme by finding the right name, logo and tagline that will make them stand out from all the other churches. Tebowing became a sensation because of Tebow's remarkable comeback wins not because of clever choreography. Likewise Christian memes are born out of extraordinary acts not because of clever marketing.

The most powerful meme of all is the cross. It is the universally recognized symbol of Christianity. We sing about it, preach on it, display it, wear it and make it part of our logos and our art. It was not chosen as part of a marketing plan. It emerged as a reminder of the price paid for our salvation.

Another powerful Christian meme is Easter. In the midst of colored eggs, bunnies, baskets, lilies and new clothes, the gospel stills breaks through. Churches will have their highest attendance of the year. People who come once a year will choose this. Some will be in your church for the first time. Your regulars will not miss this day. They come because they know that this is a day to celebrate our Christ.

There is power in that. Welcome those who come into your church this Sunday. Invite them to come back. It may have been awhile since you have seen many of them but they were drawn today by the resurrection power symbolized in Easter.