Forty-one years ago, on January 22nd, 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated the third Sunday of the month as a day calling our nation to “prayer and action…to uphold the sanctity of human life.” Along with our Diocese, we use this weekend as a time of remembering, praying, teaching, lamenting, and reawakening to the value of each individual person, a value that begins within the womb and continues until the final breath…and beyond, since our life with God continues into eternity!
This Sunday, our Scripture readings highlight the value that our Father places on every life, along with the call to honor, care for, and protect every life:
· Genesis 1:26-27 declares that every life is created in the image of God. The articulation of this truth is unique to Jews and Christians. No other religion or philosophy contains the remarkable, image-bearing-reality that is foundational to how we understand ourselves and every person—our eternal Creator has imbued each person with eternal value.
· Psalm 82:1-4 issues a mandate that recurs throughout the Law, the Prophets, the teachings of Jesus, and the teaching of the apostles: “Rescue the week and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked” (Psalm 82:4). Because our Father equally values each life, he commands his people to actively protect society’s vulnerable ones.
· Jesus’s parable in Luke 14:12-14 calls for hospitality and care to be given to those living with disabilities and those struggling with poverty. The resources we have are to be generously shared with those whom—in others’ eyes—have little to offer. We are to care for each person with the care of Jesus, valuing them for who they are as they are.
· Philippians 2:1-11 sings of how deeply Jesus, the eternal Son of God, values every life. He “emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of man…becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross,” to rescue each person who believes in him (Philippians 2:8-11). His incarnation conveys the value of our humanity, and the offering of his own life conveys the beloved worth of every human life. As Peter writes, “you were ransomed…not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19).
On Sunday we’ll reflect more on these truths, listening to a panel of women and men whose convictions about the sanctity of life overflow into action. I look forward to being with you to hear these stories, and to worship our God who gives to each person “life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:25).
Your Pastor in Christ,
P.S. See the Weekly for details on joining Anglicans for Life for their annual Anglican Prayer and Worship Service on January 24, 2025 at Falls Church Anglican.
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