My pastor used this story as a beautiful illustration of Christ coming to Earth (diving into a septic tank) in order to save those who were there, and ultimately sacrificing His own life to save ours. I will allow you to fill in the blanks relative to other aspects of the metaphor. But I was thinking more about the value this father put on the life of his son with down's syndrome.
At the moment it is reported that 90% of children who are prenatally diagnosed as having down's syndrome are aborted. Without getting political, that is one reason that Gov. Sarah Palin's decision to give birth to her son with down's syndrome is actually quite remarkable. By that act, she places herself among the 10% of other women who were in that position and chose life.
But even more interesting, more worthy of consideration is that here is a man who after 20 years with a son with down's syndrome saw his son's life as important enough that he would sacrifice his own life so that his son could live. It is a very powerful example to people who would make "decisions" about the lives of others, when they know little or nothing about those lives. I am not just talking about parents, but more those in the medical profession and those in pro-choice organizations both of whom probably have never had a cup of coffee with a person with down's syndrome, or watched a ball game with someone to get to know them as persons. However, doctors may be quick to advocate for the prevention of their lives through abortion. If people really want to understand what disability is, they need to get with people with disabilities themselves as well as with people like parents and friends who really know them well.
McNair
The story your pastor related in church of a man who saved his son who had fallen into a septic tank and then used it as an allusion to depict that the adult son who fell into the septic tank was a man with down's syndrome and the man who saved his son, sacrificed his own life so that his son could live in order to display the sacrifice of a loving father toward his son is incredible. It serves as an amazing allusion to portray the love some (not all) parents have toward their children not being blinded by their disability.
ReplyDeleteIt is true that many women in today’s society decide to abort their child as soon as they find out that they are carrying a child with Down syndrome, this is terrible, specifically being because as statistics state 90% of women do, when I know for a fact that 90% of these women believe in God. I can’t imagine what goes on through these parents head to decide to terminate the life of something that has the potential to become someone. God states, that He knew us before we were born, He knew the plans He had for us, so why as humans do we decide to end a potential human being’s life? There is no answer that justifies this.