January 16: What about helpless people?

Steve Smartt is pastor of Moultrie Baptist Church in St. Augustine.

As we focus on observing the sanctity of human life, our study of Luke takes us on a survey of specific passages in the Gospel that speak about how we, as Christians, should relate to those who are helpless and unable to defend themselves. Beginning in chapter four (4:17-21), we witness Jesus as He reveals His concern for those who are helpless, not simply helpless in sin, but helpless in the social order as well.

How substantial is the helpless of our population? Consider the 44 million who have lost their lives since 1973 before uttering a word or taking a breath, but whose hearts could be heard beating as early as 18 days after conception and whose brain was detectably active as soon as 40 days following conception (Sanctity of Life, C. Swindoll).

Consider also the lives of the elderly and the terminally ill or impaired such as Terri Shiavo. Her very life remains a pawn for the courts to maneuver as they redefine the value of life by the quality of life. Think of the ever present horror of child abuse that manifests itself in physical, emotional and sexual harm. Think also of doctor-assisted suicide (an oxymoronic expression of words) at the hands of one who is trained to save life. Think, too, of embryonic stem-cell research which has yet to produce a measured result, but prepares for cultural acceptance of “medically necessary” abortion (another oxymoron since a survey of women seeking abortions indicated that only seven percent cited typical “hard cases” such as rape, incest, or some health concern with either the baby or the mother as the primary reason they were seeking abortion).

The horrors of such wickedness have been masked in the guise of medical practice, research, and “a woman’s right to choose.” According to the National Right to Life website (www.nrlc.org), of the nearly 3,600 abortions per day in the year 2000 alone, a tragic 140,00 children were aborted during the second and third trimesters. Partial birth abortion reveals the depths of the barbarianism that the helpless have now fallen victim to. In the so-called “safety” of the operating room, their torsos are “partially” delivered and a needle is inserted through the base of the skull to scramble their active brains until their heart beats to a final death.

How substantial are the helpless of our population! As Jesus shows concern for the helpless, so must we, His church. We, who sit idly by, share in the revelry and carry the blood of the innocent on our hands.

What then shall we do? Just as Jesus brought healing to the sick, blessings to the poor, and comfort for the mourning, so should we follow His pattern and provide assistance to those who need help (6:18-21). We must do more than simply agree for their defense, we must take a stand ourselves for the helpless. We must look for the weak and acknowledge their value. Specifically, we must minister to those who are, and are like, children (9:46-48; 18:15-17), both born and unborn. We must take a stand for life!

As Ken Connor, former president, Family Research Council, was recently quoted in the Florida Baptist Witness, “We’re in the midst of a cultural meltdown … Unless we first protect the right to life all other rights are moot … [There must be a] catalyst of change in a culture that is in decline [defined by those who are willing to] go out on a limb, take some risks, and stick out [his/her] neck.” Let us then live as Christ lived, and “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute” (Prov. 31:8).