I love big cats. I am an avid fan of Animal Planet’s Big Cat Diary. Even though it is in reruns, part of my morning ritual for the past many years is to eat breakfast with the big cats. So, when I learned of the killing of Cecil, I grieved. Frankly, I don’t understand the logic of a trophy kill; nor do I understand the logic of allowing any endangered species to be hunted. All creatures are an expression of the Creator’s imagination. The Genesis narrative tells us that God charged humanity with the care of creation, including the naming of all creatures. It is an expression of care and devotion to name an animal. I never cease to be amazed by the ability of humans to personalize a dog or cat by naming it.
As the world cries out over the death of Cecil the Lion, millions of unborn human beings are routinely slaughtered and the silence is deafening. Humans are unique in the Genesis narrative for they alone are created in the image of God. To attack and destroy a human being is to attack God’s image bearer. The great majority of abortions are matters of convenience. The unwanted child is callously destroyed as an expression of sexual freedom. The unwanted child is not named; it is never allowed to be personalized.
As I write this, my daughter-in-law is 22 weeks pregnant. His name is Levi. Through imaging technology we have seen him moving. Even though he is yet to be born, Levi is a person. We pray for Levi each day, for a safe delivery, for a good life. The love we have for this child is overwhelming.
The reason so many children are callously aborted is precisely this – a lack of love, a hard heart. As a pastor of more than three decades, I have stood with young parents when they received the devastating news that their pregnancy is nonviable. I have prayed for them as they grieved the loss of their child. I have watched them grieve for years. Their grief is an expression of love for a child they never held, but passionately loved. On the other hand I have witnessed the callousness of a young man, when told that his girlfriend was pregnant, quipped, “It’s time for the vacuum cleaner.”
Each child needs to be personalized – named. So let’s refer to the unborn as the sons and daughters Abel. Abel was killed by his elder brother, Cain. Cain’s motive to kill Abel was jealousy – he acted for the sake of his personal honor. Cain was to be his brother’s keeper, but became his brother’s killer. The blood of Abel cries out for justice. All evil generations shall answer for the murder of the innocent. This generation must understand that sex is not a political right, nor an act of recreation. The act of sex is primarily procreative. Any couple who engages in sex must accept the responsibility of nurturing the child they create. This generation may refuse to personalize the unborn, but God has given them a new name and by so doing the unnamed children are personalized by God.
