Every Human Life Belongs

Many years ago, my husband was gone on a military skydiving trip. On the day he was scheduled to return, I stood outside the airport gate. As the plane emptied, I waited to see his face; I loved picking him up after he'd been gone—it was small, silver lining for a challenging part of our life when he was away more than home. Soon there wasn't anyone exiting the plane, the doors to the gate were closing, and the airport started preparing to board the departing flight. 

My husband didn't come home. 

Upset and confused, I called his phone. It went straight to voicemail. He was unreachable. 

I walked through the airport back to the parking garage and drove home. My mind was racing in a million directions. Why wouldn't he call and tell me he missed his flight? Was there a skydiving accident? Was he hurt? Worse?

The reality was I knew the drill when someone was killed in training like this. Phones taken. Investigation started. Lockdown commenced. At this point, the number one thing I knew was that no news was "good" news. In other words, I knew there was probably a casualty; at this point, next of kin was being notified—if no one came to my home, it wasn't Fred who had died. 

About an hour later, Fred's boss called and confirmed what I suspected. He was delayed a few days because of an investigation into a death that occurred during their last jump. Phones taken. He couldn't call.

When I hung up, I sat with the heavy feeling of thinking about that someone on the other side of a door about to be knocked on with shattering news. His wife, maybe? Did they have kids? I wonder if she had already gone to bed for the night… 

I share this terrible story to highlight the reality that as humans, we have an inherent understanding of "belonging"—and we understand that family life is where our hearts belong. Next of kin is notified first in reverence for the dignity of family life and for the sanctity of the human person entrusted into their hearts.

For me, communicating this "belonging" has always made it very easy to share the sanctity of human life with my children. A person is worthy of love and care within a family—because God says we are! Kin is a divine gift with a sacred responsibility.

To help communicate this truth, many use what we call the SLED argument. Regardless of size, level of development, environment, or degree of dependency, we are worthy of love and care within family life. 

Size... If you're really small or really big.

Level of Development... If you are done growing or just started.

Environment......if you sleep in your mother's womb or in her arms.

Degree of Dependency...If you need lots of help, or you don't.

The man who died the day Fred was supposed to return had a wife and child. His wife mourned his loss, understanding that she had lost a part of herself—the two had become one flesh. In the same way his life was precious so is every human life. Born or preborn, sick or healthy, happy or sad… Every human life has the dignity of belonging.

Be sure to download this week’s Pray, Grow, and Serve!