Loving Peter

I recently came across the story of a friend of a friend who is preparing for the birth of their fourth child who will be born within a week according to their blog Loving Peter.  Peter has anencephaly which means his skull and brain have not formed properly so that his life expectancy outside the womb is short - a few hours or days - but a life in which he will be very much loved.  

Peter's story highlights the sacredness of every human life and his parents' love is an example of God's love for us.  Peter's life is needed - an unrepeatable gift - God knew that.   What matters is not how long a person lives but that they did live, that they came into existence at the moment of conception - that this person, this unique and unrepeatable person - has a purpose, a place in the story of humanity.  

Unfortunately, many people throughout our world today have tended to equate a life's value with what we can do, what we can produce, our utility.  The world is obsessed with avoiding the decline of ability and ultimately death, so we're constantly searching for the next beauty product that will keep us looking young, a pill or drink that will keep us from tiring, a program that will make us smarter.  Death and inability is not ultimately what should be avoided at all costs, however.  Sin is most certainly a greater danger.  

The value of a person does not lie in what he or she can or cannot do.  It does not lie in how perfectly or imperfectly one's body was formed.  It does not lie in how many breaths a person will take.  The value of a person's life lies in the fact that they are.  This person is.  This person has being, they exist - from the very moment when they were conceived, this person matters.  God loved this person into existence - a person who bears His own image and likeness - therefore the absolute only proper response to a person, in whatever stage of life and no matter their abilities, is love.  Love is the only proper response to the human person.  And love is what Peter is being given.  Thank you to this family who are providing a powerful witness to the sacredness and dignity of each human life.  Please take a moment to say a prayer for Peter and his family - a family who although I don't have the privilege of personally knowing, quite obviously knows the gift they have received.