The Death Industry

A few weeks ago, I was driving down a major road in my area. It is one of those big, 6 lane roads with lots of traffic and lots of businesses along it. I was in the far right lane heading home from work when all of a sudden, I was nearly run off the road by another driver. I had to slam on my brakes and swerve into the shoulder of the road in order to avoid being hit by this crazy driver. I recovered quickly and continued down the road, keeping a safe distance behind the guy who just cut me off. At first I blew it off as one of our winter residents here in Florida, "Snow Birds" as we like to call them; older, retired residents who spend a few months here in the winter to avoid the cold north. About a mile down the road the car that cut me off turned into the parking lot of a professional center where I know there is an abortion clinic. I know there is a clinic there because I have spent some time in front of this clinic praying for the end of abortion. The thought occurred to me that this person just nearly ran me off the road because I am pro-life. No, I don't think he could have recognized me for praying outside the clinic. I'm not one of the regulars who are there week after week praying for an end to abortion. All he had to do was to look at my car to see that I was pro-life. You see, in Florida, we have the option to pay a little extra for our annual license plate renewal in order to donate to a charity. As you can guess, my license plate proclaims "Choose Life."

I have no idea whether this person worked for the abortion clinic or not, as there are other businesses in that same professional center, but it got me thinking. Those who work in the abortion industry, or rather, "The Death Industry" are surrounded by death. Spending day after day, week after week, surrounded by death and causing death could result, for many, in a complete and utter lack of respect for life. The recent news about abortionist Kermit Gosnell shows that, at least for him, this is true.

I have never been inside an abortion clinic, nor do I ever plan on stepping inside one, but I imagine it being very cold, physically and emotionally. I imagine all the employees, from the receptionist, to the nurses, to the doctor, being emotionless, showing no sympathy, no caring, and certainly no love to their patients. I can imagine the patient silently following the nurse down the hall to the room where the "procedure", or rather, murder is committed. She is full of emotion, the only one with emotion in the room. Maybe she's crying, desperate for answers, for a way out. Her emotion goes unanswered as the doctor and nurses carry out the abortion of her child. There is no respect for the mother, and there is certainly no respect for the child.

Thinking about this complete and total lack of respect for ALL life could move some to anger. But it moves me to pity. I pity the doctors, the nurses, and the administrators in the "Death Industry". This pity brings to mind a scene from J.R.R. Tolkein's The Fellowship of the Ring novel (I'm not sure if this scene is the same in the movie. It's been awhile since I've seen it). In this scene, Galdalf is telling Frodo of the Ring and how it came into the hands of Frodo's uncle, Bilbo. Smeagol, who would later become Gollum, was so consumed with the Ring that he would stop at nothing to possess it, even murdering his friend, Deagol. Frodo is at a loss of what to do with the ring, which is now in his possession:

"What am I to do? What a pity that Bilbo did not stab that vile creature, when he had a chance!"

"Pity? It was Pity that stayed his hand. Pity, and Mercy: not to strike without need. And he has been well rewarded, Frodo. Be sure that he took so little hurt from evil, and escaped in the end, because he began his ownership of the Ring so. With Pity."

"I am sorry," said Frodo. "But I am frightened; and I do not feel any pity for Gollum."

"You have not seen him," Gandalf broke in.

"No, and I don't want to," said Frodo. "I can't understand you. Do you mean to say that you, and the Elves, have let him live on after all those horrible deeds? Now at any rate he is as bad as an Orc, and just an enemy. He deserves death."

"Deserves it! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. For even the very wise cannot see all ends. I have not much hope that Gollum can be cured before he dies, but there is a chance of it. And he is bound up with the fate of the Ring. My heart tells me that he has some part to play yet, for good or ill, before the end; and when that comes, the pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many -- your not least."

We need not react in anger at the atrocities being performed in abortion clinics across the nation. We need to react with pity, and mercy. For no matter how little respect those in the "Death Industry" may have for life, we should not be too eager to deal out judgment. "For even the wise cannot see all ends." Even Gollum, as vile and evil as he was, played a significant role in helping Frodo bring an end to evil.

 We need to pray for those in the "Death Industry". We need to pray for an end to the industry. For those, like Kermit Gosnell, who we see little hope for, there is still a chance that they may be cured before they die. We need to pray for them. Pray that they may come to see the light. Those in the "Death Industry" can change. They can come to an understanding of and a respect for life. Abby Johnson, a former director for Planned Parenthood, came to see the light. Others can, too.

Carrying the Christ Child

The traditional end of the Christmas season has come and gone with the Feast of the Epiphany yesterday. Upon reflecting on the season of Advent and Christmas, one of my favorite moments of this past season was the vigil Mass on Christmas Eve. We attended the 4:00 PM Mass as is our tradition and arrived at the church at about 3:00. I took my 16 month old out into the narthex before Mass to let her run around for a while (she has a difficult time sitting still for 2 minutes, much less 2 hours). As we were going back into the church to join the rest of our family, my pastor stopped me and asked if my wife and I would be willing to carry the baby Jesus statue from the church's Nativity in the opening procession. After a bit of discussion with Kari about what to do with the 5 kids as processed to the front of the church we decided to leave them in the capable hands of our 12 year old daughter. There were other families that we knew near them to keep an eye on them as well.


Kari and I headed to the back of the church where my pastor handed me baby Jesus. We stood there for a few minutes waiting for the opening processional song to begin. When the song began, I held the statue high over my head as we walked down the center of the church to the front, so that everyone could see. About half way down the aisle I was struck with the fact that I was carrying Jesus, the one we all worship. Not only was I carrying him, but I was holding him in such a way that all who were present could worship him as well. The thought gave me chills and I started to tear up as I walked down the center aisle.

Our Lord and Savior is much more than a statue. All too often we reduce Christ to a mere symbol or an ideal to strive for. While it is right and noble to strive to live up to the ideals that Christ lived out and symbolize for us, it is not enough. Christ, as a child in a manger or crucified on a cross, is not just a symbol. He is not just an ideal to strive for. Christ is living, present, and real. We cannot live up to the ideals he set for us through his birth, ministry, passion, and death until we realize this.

We are called to be Christ-like. However, we need to enter into a relationship with Christ in order to do this. Reading the bible and understanding the teachings of Christ is not enough. I can know all about a particular person in history that I admire, but in order to truly become like that person that I admire, I have to know him or her. You can read the bible cover to cover and every book about Christ that has ever been written. What you will end up with is a lot of knowledge about the person of Christ. But, it is not until you enter into a personal relationship with him through prayer and the sacraments that you can truly become Christ-like. Knowing about Christ is not the same as knowing Christ. We need to know him in order to be like him.