Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. (Matthew 5:7)
Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. (Luke 6:37)
You always read about events in the news and you naively think “Thank God that wouldn’t happen here!” Well, it happened here. Yesterday, officers responded to a report of a possible baby in the dumpster. When officers arrived, they met with a citizen who told officers he thought he saw a baby wrapped up inside the dumpster. A newborn baby boy was found alive inside the dumpster and medics transported the baby to an area hospital for treatment. During their investigation the police located the teenage mother near the scene and was also transported to a hospital for treatment. The 15-year-old mother of the newborn baby boy is still in the hospital being treated but will be cited for felony child abuse/endangerment and will be released to her parents.
When the story hit, I “shared” it on Facebook, asking for prayers for both the mother and her son. I also read the comments to see what others would say about the story. I am frequently puzzled and frankly saddened by the lack of charity in the world today. Actually, that’s putting it mildly. It’s not a lack of charity but an abundance of hate, fueled by people who are acting out of fear or ignorance. Some of the comments were quite graphic in the punishment the young mother should receive, even up to death! It’s a sad commentary on our society’s morals and value of human life.
I am not defending this young woman for what she’s allegedly done. Child abandonment is wrong and dumping a living, breathing infant is especially egregious. No person should ever have to endure such violations of their person or their dignity, especially a newborn baby. Everyone needs to be treated with compassion and understanding.
At the same time, however, we must be willing to extend compassion and understanding to this new mother as well. We must be willing to see her as maybe a deeply troubled person with mental illness or disordered passions. Don’t forget that Jesus has called us to forgive every person, regardless of their sins!
Let’s not forget what Jesus told the Pharisees in Matthew 9:13: “Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” I think that clearly, what Jesus tells us in this passage is that we should be showing mercy to one another, regardless of our sins or the stigmas associated with those sins.
We should be asking ourselves, “Why do we seek and want justice? Is it to preserve peace and safety? Or is it because we are hurting because this baby was treated so horrifically, and we want revenge? In Matthew 7:1-3, Jesus instructs us: “Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. “
We need to remember that we’re called to love our neighbor as ourselves and be merciful, just as Jesus showed mercy towards all of us by taking on our sins and dying for each and every one of us.
No comments:
Post a Comment