To be Pro Life:
It is easy to identify ones self with a label, not taking into account all that it entails. It’s a trend which I see many doing, including myself. I call myself Pro Life and have been public about it for a while now, however, I confess that in the past I haven’t been such a good example. To be Pro Life means more than merely being against abortion, as one can even see alluded to in it’s title, and that’s what I want to write about. What does it mean to be Pro Life?
To be Pro Life means that one is to love, accept, and support all forms and stages of life surrounding him/her. Life is not something that one should take lightly. It is incredible how you and I are alive right now and incredible that we were given life. I know the feeling of being close to death, almost robbed of life myself. I also know just how quickly life can be taken away. It is truly a gift that you and I should cherish and protect.
It is often found that in critiques there are traces, if not full accounts, of the truth. I’ve found that in my case, as I can only speak of personal experience on this matter, Pro Life critics have been correct. One of the largest critiques being: “you call yourself pro life, you petition for the lives of those in the womb, but what are you doing for us?”
Unfortunately they are right. What have I done in the past for everyone? What have I done to those close to me, those I’ve encountered in my life? — I’ve spoken badly of many of you, judged, cheated, lied, laughed, used, blamed, and not accepted many of you… and the list could go on for pages if I tried to write it all down. None of this behaviour was Pro Life; in fact, it was completely and absolutely incompatible with the meaning of those words.
To be Pro Life means to uplift every person outside of the womb as much as inside. To be Pro Life means to uplift every person no matter their difference in ethnicity, religion, gender, etc. Every person, as person, deserves respect, love, and support. So we, those who call themselves Pro Life, must ask ourselves as we are campaigning for our future generation, what are we doing for our present generation as well? This is not an either/or issue but a both/and.
There are so many ways that one can help, you just have to search and you’ll find. But maybe even more so, we can focus on our every day actions and the impact that they hold. What image are we attaching to ourselves? Are we really showing ourselves to be truly Pro Life? We must look at ourselves before we throw the stone, if you read the Bible I’m sure you’ll find that quote familiar. It is time for each and every one of us to stand up, face our faults, and try harder.
As I come to a close, I’d like to apologize to every single one of you. I know to many, if not most, I have not been my best self and have maybe hurt or offended you in the past. For that, and everything else, I am sorry. I can only leave you with the fact that I am trying my best to become a better person, and to live up to the standard of what being Pro Life means. I pray that with every day it might become more and more true.
Xx