This week I was reminded of the precious value of a single human life no matter what age or stage of development. I was challenged by a subtle misconception that it so vile and depraved.
Is health better than sickness?
Every human life is made in the image of God, and is viewed as precious in the eyes of its creator. Yet it can be easy to fall into thinking that a physically fit young person who is mentally capable is of more value than an aged man with mental illness. I was challenged to think otherwise by spending a few days with Grandpa Harreld.
Grandpa Harreld, a man with Parkinsons and dementia.
Grandpa Harreld my mothers father, is in his 80’s and is suffering from Parkinsons and the Dementia that so often follows that disease. His days consist of sitting in his chair, and being cared for by my grandmother who is several years younger. He can no longer feed himself, cloth himself, or walk without the aid of my grandmother. He is no longer able to carry on a conversation. He can still talk but most of the time his words make no logical sense. This does lead to many comical situations though, here are some of the things he said while we were visiting him..
Go Jump in a Lake!!
He told my grandmother to “Shut up” and he told my my Aunt to “go jump in a lake.” While my dad was holding his hand and talking to him one day he said “I had to fire the other guy because he wasn’t very good.”
Something that shocked me.
The last day of our visit we were all packing to go and I was busy looking through the house for things we may have forgotten to pack. While I was looking around the room grandpa said my name. Surprised I looked at him and the next words that came out of his mouth dumbfounded me. He said “It was a fun time with you guys….(unintelligible mumble)…” For the next few seconds I was shocked, I couldn’t reply. I hadn’t heard him say anything that made sense in many years and was surprised that he had actually communicated with me. I finally replied to him, but that conversation revealed a dark lie in my heart that I was so quick to believe, but that couldn’t be more depraved. The lie is that I am somehow better or of more value than this man because I am physically healthy and consciously all there. Before God I am of no more or less value than my grandfather. Even in his weak state and illness he is still of incalculable value and loved in God’s eyes. This realization brought to mind the other weak and defenseless members of our society. The unborn child in the womb. It seems in this case that our society doesn’t give children worth until they achieve a certain state of consciousness or physical development.
From the child who was just conceived to the oldest and sickest among us they are all of equal value with you and me. May we as Christians be characterized by Matthew 25:40 and champion the cause of the least of these living among us. More practically we should pray for President Obama that God would change his heart on life, before he signs into law legislation that further devalues the unborn child. It seems to me a slippery slope, if society continues to kill the unborn life that it is not long before it will kill the old and sick among us as well.
I guess my elders do have a lot to teach me, even in ways I may have never expected.
I can just imagine my dad fresh out of bed at 6am still trying to wake up and getting a call out of the blue from my grandpa asking if Ryan was on a fishing trip in Canada.. Haha ahhh, fun times up in Michigan.
