Chapter 18: Myth—Abortion Doesn’t Matter

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Myth—Abortion Doesn’t Matter

Go up into the attic of your grandma and grandpa who have passed away and you might find some love letters that were written between the two

of them during a time of war. That is what is hidden inside my attic, love letters between Jackie and I during the Vietnam War in the 1960’s. Some statements in those letters are perfectly clear. You know. Statements like — “I love you” — do not need any interpretation. Yet some other statements

will leave you with question marks about what the lovers are talking about.

Perhaps some important context is missing? The things that are equally understood by both lovers do not need to be fully explained in the

letters, do they? They are taken for granted, aren’t they? Now, years later, you want to understand the full story. How do you go about that? The easiest way is to get to know all you can about the life of your grandparents, the values they held, the events that drove their lives, etc. In other words, the more you learn about them, the easier it is to understand what they have

written to one another in their love letters.

I just watched an interesting movie called Possession (2002) 2 that took this concept to the theater. Some interesting things written between

two lovers drove another couple on a path of discovery to find out what they were really talking about. It was a very interesting movie, which is relevant. Understanding emerges in the story, as the true content of each lover’s heart becomes revealed in the full context and synergy of both individual lives.

That is the way it is with understanding God. When you discover His heart’s contents, you discover the meaning of what He is telling us in the love letters He has sent us. You will understand what is written in the Bible,

when you realize the Holy Bible is a collection of love letters from God to each of us. Yet, if you only approach those love letters with your intellect, you are left with many gaps in understanding. When you seek the heart of the writer and His perspective, you gain true understanding of His meaning.

Is there really a difference in behavior when a person uses his or her mind versa his or her heart? Yes, there is. All you have to do is to meditate on the words of Jesus in Matthew 21:28-32 as shown above. Note: I will use

the NRSV for the most part in this chapter, because that is what God told me to use. The reason will become apparent shortly.