Tag: love

Reasons I’m Grateful for My Mom’s Life

Ife J. Ibitayo

If you asked me to fly to a new country to shelve my Ph. D. for a couple decades to raise three rambunctious boys, I would have laughed in your face.  The depth of that sacrifice, the height of that love mystifies me. And yet that is exactly what my mom did. This year, I was moved to write the 57 58 Reasons I’m Grateful for My Mom’s Life. And I wanted to highlight a few key items from that list.

She Showed Up for Every Big Moment

I attended a boarding school for the last two years of high school. I spent several weeks explaining to my parents why there was no need for them to come up for my graduation. But that morning, as I was preparing to walk the stage alone, I received a random call from my mom. She was asking for directions, and I was frustratedly trying to figure out why she needed them right now until she revealed the whole family had just arrived in town. That day was one of the happiest moments of my life, and my friends relayed how loudly I paraded my family around my old stomping grounds.

She Rises Early Every Morning

Ever since I was young, my mom would disappear for hours on end early in the morning. If I couldn’t find her, I’d tiptoe into her study and see her praying, reading her Bible, or praising God. Day in and day out, she prioritized God’s presence. And because of her example, I began to prioritize God’s presence too.

She Supports My Dreams

No matter the dream or passion I’ve had on my heart, my mom has always supported it. I was a bench player on the junior varsity basketball team in my small high school. When the entire team consists of seven players, that is definitely saying something! And yet, my mom would pick me up day after day, week after week from our late basketball practices. I never did become the next Jordan, but I did learn the value of commitment. My mom wouldn’t stop putting in the effort to support me as long as I dedicated myself to improving my craft.

She Forgives My Mistakes

One particular winter during college, I committed the cardinal sin of misdating my mom’s birthday. I called her up and excitedly wished her a special day. I could hear the pain in her voice as she thanked me and said it was actually two days from now.

Forgotten birthdays, neglected dishes, and broken washing machines can tally up to a mighty mountain of resentment, but my mom has forgiven me for every little mistake and every big one too.

So I say happy birthday, Mom, and thank you for everything!

“Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: ‘There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!'”

(Proverbs 31:29)

Blank Space

By Ife J. Ibitayo

I spent last Saturday in Los Angeles’ remarkable Koreatown with a dozen of my friends. From salivating over tender bulgogi to munching on a toasted fish waffle, I and my stomach will cherish that sunny afternoon. But the highlight of that weekend was definitely karaoke.

The crooning of Ed Sheeran and the hoarse howling of Bruno Mars transported me back to my teenage years faster than the DeLorean. And our song choices seemed especially apt for the Valentine’s Month, alternating between sappy serenades and heartbreak belters.

But one song in particular from that tangled love sequence arrested my attention: Blank Space by Taylor Swift. If you don’t remember attempting to tune out that chart-topping pop song, here are some of the lyrics to “refresh” your memory:

So it’s gonna be forever,

Or it’s gonna go down in flames.

 It’ll leave you breathless, mm

Or with a nasty scar.

Got a long list of ex-lovers.

They’ll tell you I’m insane,

But I’ve got a blank space, baby,

And I’ll write your name.

Besides forcing me to seriously question the moral fabric of the music industry, this song made me reflect on the extreme nature of many of our relationships. They’re either sweet, or they’re bitter. “I love her,” or “I hate her.” Whether it’s marriage, business partnerships, or friendships, “it’s gonna be forever, or it’s gonna go down in flames.”

No Space

But this is not the way God treats us. Of all the beings in the universe with ample reason to hold a grudge, God tops the list. He created a good world, filled it with good things, and gave it us, originally good people. Yet we shortly thereafter broke every single one of His rules, and we’ve engaged in hostile revolt ever since.

We are the backstabbing friend. We are the cheating wife. We are Brutus, Benedict, and Judas rolled into one. And yet, in the book of Hebrews, God says, “I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12).

A pastor once said God is like a judge trying a murderer. But when the man is convicted for his crime, the judge steps down from his bench, takes off his robe, and insists he take the man’s place. The book of Isaiah summarizes this tremendous exchange: “But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:6).

White Space

And so, by drawing from this deep well filled with the precious blood of Christ, God demands we forgive. God asks us to forgive each other “seventy-seven times” (Matthew 18:22) because He forgave us a million times. He pleads for us to lay down our hurt, anger, and pride at the foot of the cross. He says, “‘I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions,” (Isaiah 43:25) leaving our blackened hearts as white as snow. And in that blank space, He wants to write His name.

“For His unfailing love toward those who fear Him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”

(Psalm 103:11-12)

Letters for a Marine Recruit

By Ife J. Ibitayo

Thirteen weeks of the most grueling combat training man has ever concocted. Three mortifying months without Wi-Fi or Chick-Fil-A for comfort. That is what my friend signed up for when he shipped out to marine basic training last month. Shortly after he left, I received a Facebook message from his wife asking if I’d write him. As I penned my thoughts down on a sheet of paper, I reflected on the value of my scribbles. Why is such a simple act of connection so important for those enduring grueling circumstances?

I Have Not Forgotten You

First, when we connect with those in pain, we let them know, “I have not forgotten you.” Hebrews 13:3 says, “Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.” When one is isolated from others for a good reason (like military training) or a bad one (like incarceration), loneliness is bound to follow. But when we take the time to connect with such people, we affirm that their lives matter. They are not forgotten on the outside, and there are people who are still rooting for them there.

I Identify with You

Secondly, when we connect with those who are suffering, we let them know, “I identify with you.” Sympathy is surprisingly costly. When my life is going peacefully, I don’t want to struggle with those who are battling. But that is what it means to be family. Speaking of the church of Christ as one body, Apostle Paul said, “If one member suffers, all the members suffer together” (1 Corinthians 12:26). We must be willing to enter “boot camp” with them in a sense, shouldering their burdens and sharing in their highs and their lows.

I Love You

Lastly, when we connect with those who are laboring, we let them know, “I love you.” Love is not squishy sentimentality. It is a costly willingness to sacrifice on another’s behalf for their good. As Apostle James said, “If one of you says to your brother or sister without food and clothing, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is that” (James 5:16)? Similarly, if we say we love our friends and family members, but that does not translate into the willingness to visit them, call them, or even mail them, we may need to reconsider our definition of love.

Conclusion

As I mailed my letter out earlier this week, I didn’t know how my friend would receive it. Would it make his day? Would he even be able to read my messy handwriting? I didn’t know. But I do know I’ll keep on writing him until he returns home safely.

“I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience as did my forefathers, as I constantly remember you night and day in my prayers.”
(2 Timothy 1:3)

The Love, Loss, and Life of Christmas (What Christmas Gifts Mean to Me Pt. 3)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

For “A Gift Worth Waiting For”, click here. For “A Salty Lightbulb”, click here.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). It was tempting to end this article here. For this verse obviously speaks for itself. We’ve all heard it; we all know it; we all get it. Just like the famed holiday itself, a bit of the Christmas magic may have worn off this beautiful passage. But when I stumbled across this verse this week, I was struck anew by its power.

Love

“For God so loved the word…” When defining agape—the word translated in this verse as “love”—Wikipedia couldn’t have described it any better: “a deep and profound sacrificial love that transcends and persists regardless of circumstance.” The core of Christmas is the heart of a Father. When God wrapped up His son in flesh and delivered Him down the chimney of time, He expressed the fullness of His love for us. In Exodus, He shouted, “I love you so much that I will rescue you.” In the temple, He declared, “I love you so much that I will be with you.” In Jesus, He whispered, “I love you so much that I will become you.”

Loss

“…that He gave His one and only Son…” I recently read Mary Beth Chapman’s–Steven Curtis Chapman’s wife–Choosing to See about the death of their kindergarten age daughter. Therein, I saw the visceral destruction that the death of a child wreaks on a family. No parent will willingly part with their child. They will part with their wealth, health, and even their own life before seeing their dear son or daughter suffer. But the Father willingly gave up His Son for us.

As regifting becomes more socially acceptable, we’re growing ever more accustomed to giving gifts that cost us nothing. But the Father is not like us. As the Creator of the universe, He could give us the world quite literally, and it still would have cost Him nothing. But instead, He gave the only thing—the only One—that He could not replace with a snap of His fingers.

Life

“…that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus was born so that we would never die (John 11:25-26). His painful entry into a stinking stable in a fallen world was far more than a stocking stuffer. It changed everything.

And so, as we celebrate Christmas tomorrow, we must look upon this holiday with fresh eyes. Christmas is more than a holiday; it is a “holy day” where we should pause and consider the wonder of the love, the loss, and the life of our risen savior: Jesus Christ.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
(Isaiah 9:6)

I My Cross Have Taken (A Day in the Life of a Dead Man Walking Pt. 1)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

“[Jesus] said to them all, ‘Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me’” (Luke 9:23).

In no starker way could Christ have highlighted the steep cost of accepting Him as both Lord and Savior. In The Cost of Discipleship, Bonhoeffer thundered, “When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.” Yet this truth does not resonate with my life here in America. I’ve never gone hungry or lived on the streets. I attended private schools and charter schools throughout my childhood. My greatest fear as a Christian is being criticized or ostracized not imprisonment or death. So why does Christ warn that following Him will cost us everything?

The Cross Jesus Carried

The answer lies in the very person of Jesus Christ Himself. Less than a day before His death, He said, “‘Even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many’” (Mark 10:45). Jesus’ entire life was marked by self-sacrifice. He stepped down from perfection and clothed Himself in corruption (Philippians 2:7). He was born in obscurity, lived in paucity, and died in ignominy. He chose the hard life when He could have had the high life. And as “little-Christs”, we are called to do the same.

My Cross to Carry

Even here in the most comfortable country in the world, the bid to “come and die” is both powerful and tangible. It may involve something as drastic as “selling all we have” like Jesus called the rich young ruler to do (Matthew 19:21). But it’ll often look more like the story of the Good Samaritan:

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side…But a Samaritan, as he traveled…saw him and took pity” (Luke 10:30-33).

The call to die is often as simple as caring enough to not walk on by. I know caring is expensive in our hectic, fast-paced world. Caring may require our time, our energy, or even our money. But we can’t carry the world on one shoulder and the cross on the other. We must lay one down if we want to take up the other.

“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

(Ephesians 5:1-2)

I Thank God for His Promises (I Thank God For… Pt. 2)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

I still remember my first crush. She was a gorgeous Asian beauty, and I was a bumbling fifth grader. In my brilliant elementary school wisdom, I had to share my secret with somebody. So I swore one of my closest friends to secrecy and divulged the name of my crush to him. The very next day, like clockwork, everyone at school knew. My crush avoided me, and a bully in my class pranked me mercilessly for the next several months. From that unhappy experience I learned the life lesson that no one can be trusted to keep their promises.

And we’ve all been there. Whether it be our spouse, parent, or coworker, someone we trusted has betrayed our trust. A pop singer once sang: “How can I learn how to trust again? How can I learn how to trust? How can I learn how to love again when everything turns to dust?” When trust is so easily broken and so hard to restore, is anyone in the world truly worthy of it?

God is Not a Man

Ironically, out of the mouth of a pagan soothsayer named Balaam, the LORD says, “‘God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill’” (Numbers 23:19)? God Himself claims to be the one being in all of existence who will never let us down. He will never default on His promises. He will never fail to come through.

But there can often feel like there is a divide between the God we hope for and the God we know. There’s the God who saved our loved one from cancer, restored our failing marriage, and delivered our prodigal child. But that’s not the God we know. We’ve seen the sorrow of daily living which can sometimes make even the deepest Biblical promises feel trite and unreliable.

Yet, every week this year I reread Romans 8:32, which says, “Since God did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won’t He also give us everything else?” From the eternal vantage point of our everlasting salvation, etched on our hearts through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, I’ve found the comfort to put my trust in God. For only through Him are trouble, hardship, persecution, hunger, need, and danger powerless to separate me from the love of God (Romans 8:35). And so I can take God at His word when He promises, “‘Though the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, My steadfast love shall never leave you, and My covenant of peace shall never be removed,’ says the LORD, who has compassion on you” (Isaiah 54:10).

Conclusion

A mantra I repeat probably on a weekly basis is “trust is the hardest part.” I don’t trust readily, and I don’t trust easily. But when Christ extends His nail-pierced palms to me, I know if there is any place in the world I can rest the weight of my world, it is there and there alone.

“No word from God will ever fail.”
(Luke 1:37)

Kindly Uncle or Loving Father (Father Complex Pt. 1)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

“I like Jesus, but I don’t like the God of the Old Testament. He’s too angry.” I’ve had this conversation with many of my non-Christian friends. They gravitate toward the humility and gentleness of the Christ. But they shy away from the wrath and fury of the Father. But I believe these are twin facets of the same coin engraved in love.

One of the most memorable moments of my childhood was when my little brother slapped my mom. My father was standing right next to her. And I still remember the terror in my little brother’s eyes as he dashed into our game room and slammed the door. My father stomped after him. And my older brother and I weren’t sure if he was going to survive the night! Of course, the youngster survived to rebel another day. But because of that discipline he never laid a hand on our mother again. Now my father’s righteous anger demonstrated two things: first, his care for his wife; second, his care for his son.

The Justice of Love

My father loves my mom as he loves himself (Ephesians 5:28), so love compelled him to defend his wife when she was so viscerally disrespected. In like manner, God loves us all as His children, and He hates to see us mistreated. In the book of Isaiah, God says, “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of My people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar” (Isaiah 10:1-3)? When God witnesses injustice, He responds with righteous indignation, just as we should.

When I saw a police officer kneeling on George Floyd’s neck, I was furious, and I yearned for the justice that my hands were incapable of delivering. But because God is all-powerful and all-loving, that same anger pushes Him to bow down the heavens and act on behalf of those who’ve been wronged (Psalm 18:6-9).

The Discipline of Love

Secondly, my father loved my little brother too much to allow him to continue down the rebellious path he’d taken. Even Dr. Benjamin Spock, one of the most influential 20th century voices against corporal punishment, still knew that discipline was necessary. Whether through words or deeds, a loving parent must communicate their love by disciplining their children, so how much more our heavenly Father?

The author of the book of Hebrews said, “For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way (Hebrews 12:10-11).”

Therefore, when we as individuals, churches, or nations suffers the consequences of our wicked actions, this is not a sign that God doesn’t care for us any longer. Rather, it shows that He cares too much to allow us to keep going astray. As famous writer C.S. Lewis once said, “God shouts through our pain.” And sometimes that pain is the only restraint between us and death.

Conclusion

God so loved the world that He gave His only Son to us (John 3:16). But He also loves us so much that He doesn’t leave us to our own devices. He defends the needy, He disciplines the wayward, and He destroys the wicked. Without this aspect of God’s character, He’ll only be our kindly but distant Uncle rather than our present and loving Father.

“My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke because the Lord disciplines those he loves as a father the son he delights in.”

(Proverbs 3:11-12)

https://open.spotify.com/track/1GroB3cEZTvfhKQ7PebPas?si=af7457e9ba924d71

The Hospital for Punk Rockers (How Christians Kill Christianity Pt. 1)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

Punk rock was my childhood. I was deeply familiar with the greats in that space: Fall Out Boy, All Time Low, Mayday Parade and every other headache-inducing rockstar you could name. I also loved the lesser known Christian artists like Emery, Anberlin, and Hawk Nelson. But as the gnarly riffs of the early 2000s gave way to the pop electronic sounds of the 2010s, the faith of many of these Christian rockers gave way as well. I first noticed this trend with Underoath—arguably the most famous Christian screamo band of all time. In 2018, they released a brand new album called Erase Me with a different sound and a different spirit. So I unearthed an interview from their frontman Spencer Chamberlain:

“The Christian community is what ruins Christianity for me…They were putting out magazines about me being a drug addict and stuff. The whole Christian world was like ‘that’s the reason that Underoath is breaking up’…The places I was most accepted and where people would listen to me and talk to me and share stories about how they’re f—d up were the people who weren’t Christians…And they were like ‘let’s talk about it’, but in Christian bands they were like ‘let’s not’- and doesn’t that seem opposite? Doesn’t that seem very unloving and very unaccepting?”

The Museum or the Hospital

There’s good reason many who are suffering avoid the church at all costs. Sometimes we focus a little too much on the high bar of holiness without acknowledging how far we all have fallen from it (Romans 3:23). Even worse, we expect “sinners” to fix themselves before we welcome then into our congregations and homes.

Noticing this problem even in the formative years of the western church, St. Augustine argued, “The church is not a museum for saints but a hospital for sinners.” We can mistakenly believe that what others need is to “get to church” or to “read their Bible.” Now these things are good and essential components of healing, but if Jesus Christ is the Great Physician (Matthew 9:12) and we are His body (1 Corinthians 12:27), doesn’t that mean we are supposed to be little physicians too?

Galatians 6:1-2 says, “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” The law of Christ doesn’t just apply when others are at their best but all the more when they’re at their worst.

Conclusion

Some of my lowest moments have been pushed even lower by misguided Christians seeking to squeeze righteousness out of my crushed vessel. But I’ve also overcome many great sins in my life because of the love and longsuffering of my spiritual family. The tempted, the addicted, the stumbling, and the fallen need us to stumble alongside them. If even we refuse to carry their burdens, who else will?

“Jesus answered them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.'”

(Luke 5:31)

The Presence of Prayer (Prayer Changes Things Pt. 3)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

I believe there is a third often overlooked aspect of prayer. Beyond changing things outside of us (Pt. 1) and changing things inside of us (Pt. 2), prayer ushers into the presence of God. It can be easy to reduce God to a divine slot machine. If we toggle enough levers and press enough buttons, our will will be done on earth as we expect it will be in heaven. Or we can relegate Him to a glorified mentor or life coach. But God wants deeper relationship than that: He wants to be our Friend, our Father, and our Husband.

Our Friend

We as humans possess a deep, profound need for friendship. That is why God said to Adam, “It is not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). But just like our predecessor, as soon as our horizontal need for friendship is fulfilled, we often neglect our analogous vertical need for friendship (Genesis 3). A true friend is someone with whom you connect for the sake of connection. In other words, the relationship itself is the end you are seeking when you spend time with that other person.

Many evenings I find myself coming to God with a long list of topics I want to run through: the state of our nation, difficulties in my family, looming deadlines at work, and many more. But I often sense that He doesn’t need me to repeat those prayers to Him again–He already knows my concerns before I pray them anyway (Matthew 6:8). Rather, He just wants to sit with me. He wants me to focus on being with Him rather than getting from Him.

Our Father

Secondly, God wants us to relate to Him as our heavenly Father rather than our overbearing boss. I’ve been reading the book of Romans recently, and I’m struck by the distinction between wages and grace. Romans 4:4-5 says, “When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.” Similarly, an employee is hired based on their potential to add value to a company, and their continued employment is dependent on their performance. But a son is a son because they are a son. On my best days and on my worst, I am still God’s baby boy.

I often find myself tempted to perform when I come to God in prayer. I want to say the right words and quote the right verses and sing the right songs. But God does not care. When I enter His presence, He sets aside His gavel of judgment and spreads wide His royal robes, so I can hop in His lap. And He happily welcomes me when I’m pure and pious or when I’m dirty and broken.

Our Husband

Lastly, God wants to be our Husband. I think this is an oft neglected aspect of our relationship with God, deemed too intimate for many and too uncomfortable for men. But God’s marriage to us is a powerful analogy for His deep and abiding love for us. In Isaiah 54:5, God says, “‘Your Maker is your Husband,’” which intimately reminds us that God not only made us, He also chose us specifically as the objects of His affections. And He will continue to woo us with a forever love (Jeremiah 31:3).

When I enter God’s presence, He delights in me more than any doe-eyed newlywed. When I go on a date with God, all my bad jokes are funny and my quirky remarks are insightful. God desires to spend time with me far more than I with Him because He is such a good Husband!

Conclusion

When I pray, I enter into the presence of my best Friend, my loving Father, and my doting Husband. Through prayer I find my identity as a beloved son and bride. And so I love prayer, and through prayer I embrace how much God loves me.

“One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.”

(Psalm 27:4)

Protests and Celebration

By Ife J. Ibitayo

The title of an NBC article well-captures the polarizing nature of the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling last week: “Protests and celebrations as Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade”. For many, this ruling marks the culmination of decades of faith, prayer, and activism. And the hope that bubbles up from this decision serves as an encouraging signpost for the future. But for others, this marks the beginning of the end. A generation of progress has come to a grinding halt, and other women’s rights may be on the chopping block in the years–or even months–to come.

Abortion is a deeply personal issue for most of us. Many who are pro-life ask: “Who’s going to speak up for the unborn? Who, after having carried a beloved being to term, can stand aside while millions of other precious children are slaughtered wholesale?” Yet on the other side of the fence, many who are pro-choice ask: “Why do I not get to choose what I do with my body and my life? Why must I sacrifice everything for something to which I owe nothing?” Because of how intimate this issue is, I struggle to dialogue with others who disagree with me on this topic.

Celebration

I believe that life is sacred from conception. This isn’t just a Biblical principal I accept, it’s a truth that resonates viscerally in my bones. I’ve served with children at summer camps and YMCA ever since I was a teenager. I donate to America World Adoption Agency every month because I deeply desire for children to be raised by loving parents. I also intend to adopt someday myself.

The more time I spend with children, the more I realize that they can touch my heart at younger and younger ages. I’ve had stimulating conversations with my kindergarten age nieces and nephews. I played games with my little brother when he was still a toddler. I still remember the intimate stories my mother told me of her unique pregnancy experiences carrying my siblings and I to term. And so I rejoice at the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Protest

Yet I’m also beginning to understand how often the rights of women have been nullified in the name of “the greater good.” It would be easy to site stats and statistics; however, there is one historical fact that rocks me: Women were only granted the right to vote in the 1920s. There are nearly 100,000 Americans alive today who were born during a time when half of all US citizens were disenfranchised. And this disenfranchisement continues today. A plethora of systemic issues prevent women from speaking up and demonizes them when they do. Add on top of that the loss of the right to choose whom they birth with their bodies and when they start their families, and I can see why their newfound situation hurts grievously.

Conclusion

Many reading this article may have skimmed over half of it. Or they may have read it all intently with a “Yes, but” on the tip of their tongues. But the point of this piece is not to ignite another argument. We already have enough of those blasting on social media and the nightly news. I’m trying my best to understand, to let others know I hear them and I’m listening, even if I don’t understand them as well as I wish I could. Because we must build more bridges to one another, or we risk burning the whole house down.

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”

(James 1:19)