If you have been anywhere near the pro-life movement in the last 50 years, you have probably quoted, preached from, or in some way referenced Deuteronomy 30:19: “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring might live.” Granted, we can debate the contextual use of this passage, but there can be no doubt the stark choice offered between life and death, between blessing and curse, that is being played out in our culture right before our eyes.
When Roe v. Wade declared a constitutional right for a mother to kill her baby in what should be the safest and most sacred place for life on earth — her own womb — our culture began the downward slide from a culture of life to a culture of death. Now, with Roe v. Wade overturned, as the battle shifts to the states, we see the vitriolic and violent culture of death seething in anger over the choice of life made by the Supreme Court.
During a recent U.S. Senate Judicial Committee Hearing on the effects of the Supreme Court’s decision, several women celebrated their abortions, with one stating triumphantly, “Abortion is healthcare. My abortion was the best decision I ever made, and an act of self-love.” That last phrase is not a misprint. She actually declared her decision to end her own child’s life to be an act of self-love. Allie Beth Stuckey, a conservative commentator and pro-life advocate, responded by Tweeting, “She’s correct. She loved herself, her convenience, her comfort so much that she was willing to kill her child for them. That’s why the Bible says godless people in the end days will be lovers of self.” Now that is a proper contextual use of Scripture (2 Timothy 3:1-5).
Major corporations including, but certainly not limited to, Amazon, Disney, Paramount, Starbucks, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, etc., announced they will be providing travel expenses and other benefits for women who need to travel from a state that bans abortion to a state that welcomes the death of the unborn. These corporations and others like them fulfill the description of Romans 1 that says not only do they openly defy God’s righteous decree, they approve of those who practice defiance. They are openly and without shame aiding and abetting the incessant march of the culture of death.
What are Christians to do in the face of such unspeakable evil? Our flesh cries out for us to lash out in anger and hatred against those who would brag about or support such evil. We resort to angry words thrown like daggers toward those who so blatantly undermine our sense of right, decent, and godly behavior. But we are left unsatisfied by our rants because they lead only to a helpless feeling that the world is spinning out of any sense of moral control, and there is nothing we can do about it. While we may not be choosing death over life, what we are doing is choosing to curse darkness instead of lighting a candle.
Enter Peter Rex, founder and CEO of Rex, a tech company producing products that support the real estate industry. According to Daily Wire reporter Amanda Harding, Rex “slams big companies that brag about offering abortion tourism.” He believes the alternative is to assist and encourage employees to welcome their babies into the world. So his company is offering $7,500 to employees who resolve their unwanted pregnancy by choosing life and then giving their baby up for adoption. And Rex is not the only company pushing back against the culture of death by offering incentives to their employees to choose life. Texas-based Buffer Insurance announced it would offer paid time off for maternity and paternity leave, and it will pay all expenses and medical costs associated with adoption.
Peter Rex and Buffer Insurance are choosing to do more than curse the darkness of our culture of death. They are lighting the light of love and the Gospel by encouraging their employees to choose the blessing of life by offering them the blessing of encouragement and support. They are fulfilling Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:14-15: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.” As the battle over abortion heats up, let’s make sure, as followers of Jesus Christ, that the world sees our light rather than feel our heat.