I’m up early this morning, and I’m pondering life. Two reasons, actually. First, I preached on the 139th Psalm this past Sunday. It’s my favorite Psalm. It’s my favorite Psalm because the psalmist David reveals God to be personal, present and pursuing…and that was long before Jesus appeared to be Immanuel–God with us. The second reason I’m pondering life this morning are the new allegations against Planned Parenthood selling baby parts from aborted children, and that these revelations would come as I’ve spent a week praying over and planning a message around Psalm 139. Yes, I’m pondering life this morning.

A disclaimer: This post may be out of character, as I am not prone to outrage or indignation. A further disclaimer: I am adamantly pro-life, so these allegations against Planned Parenthood have touched a nerve in a deep, deep place. So you will know, I am adamantly pro-life at the beginning as well as at the end of life. Life is a precious gift from God, and it is not to be taken lightly. I also write this morning fully aware that I am likely to offend some. That’s okay. We’ll be offended together because frankly, I’m offended that we watch idly as over 1 million infants per year are aborted.

The disclaimers continue: I am fully aware that we live in a culture that thrives on “shock value,” and that the allegations are made with shock value in mind–and they are quite shocking! I’m also aware that Planned Parenthood has vehemently denied the allegations. The very fact that such shocking allegations can be made must be investigated, and if, in any way found true, every effort must be made to end the practice, and those responsible must be punished. I think it’s also imperative that Christians speak out to denounce, in the strongest way possible, the actions of Planned Parenthood, if proven to be true.

The words I ponder from the 139th Psalm this morning are these:

I am reminded of a quote I came across as I was preparing my sermon. It comes from a University of Washington genetic engineer named John Medina. Here’s what Medina had to say in a 1995 lecture at Multnomah Bible College:

“The average human heart pumps over 1,000 gallons a day, over 55 million gallons in a lifetime. This is enough to fill 13 super tankers. It never sleeps, beating 2.5 billion times in a lifetime. The lungs contain 1,000 miles of capillaries. The process of exchanging oxygen for carbon dioxide is so complicated, that it is more difficult to exchange 02 for C02 than for a man shot out of a cannon to carve the Lord’s Prayer on the head of a pin as he passes by. DNA contains about 2,000 genes per chromosome — 1.8 meters [nearly 6 feet] of DNA are folded into each cell nucleus. A nucleus is 6 microns [one millionth of a meter] long. This is like putting 30 miles of fishing line into a cherry pit. And it isn’t simply stuffed in. It is folded in. If folded one way, the cell becomes a skin cell. If another way, a liver cell, and so forth. To write out the information in one cell would take 300 volumes, each volume 500 pages thick. The human body contains enough DNA that if it were stretched out, it would circle the sun 260 times. The body uses energy efficiently. If an average adult rides a bike for 1 hour at 10 mph, it uses the amount of energy contained in 3 ounces of carbohydrate. If a car were this efficient with gasoline, it would get 900 miles to the gallon.”

We are, all of us, fearfully and wonderfully made. I believe God has intricately and intimately woven each person together, and that God knows us from the moment of conception. The Psalmist communicated a deep truth, one which we are quickly losing in our culture, if we haven’t lost it altogether. Children (even those in the womb) share the common humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we must stand for justice on their behalf, especially those who have no voice. I’ve also been pondering the fact that though a child in the early stages of pregnancy may be called a “fetus,” or a “lump of tissuse,” that I looked exactly like that lump of tissue at that age.

No, I didn’t go in this direction with my message on Sunday (you can hear it here). Perhaps I should have. The thoughts have not been far from my mind, even as these further revelations were made.

I’ll probably get a lot of comments on today’s post…many that disagree with me. That’s okay, too. This isn’t a deep theological argument for the pro-life position. It’s my blog, and my attempt to make sense of a senseless situation.

So, what’s a person to do? I don’t know about you, but here’s what I’m going to do:

• Pray. I’m going to pray for the women who are contemplating having an abortion. I know they are struggling, and most of them don’t take the decision lightly. I’m going to pray that the resources and support network will help them make a decision that is life-affirming, and that they will find grace in that decision. I’m also going to pray for those with whom I differ, and that in spite of our differences, we can work together to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with those who face the prospect of abortion. I’m going to pray that the allegations against Planned Parenthood will be investigated fully, and that a just resolution will be reached as a result of the investigation. Finally, I’m going to pray for the children, and trust that every child, both born and unborn, will continue to be held in the grip of God’s grace.
• I’m going to be more vocal in my pro-life commitment.
• I’m going to work more diligently with those agencies that offer meaningful alternatives to abortion.

There’s probably more I could (and should) do, but at least it’s a start.

Gee! I sure hope I haven’t drug you down. Perhaps now is a good time to say

Until next time, keep looking up…