"I'm Going to Love You Any Way"

Before you read anything else, listen to Sam Martin's song to his unborn son:

Until I came across this a few days ago, I had never heard of Sam Martin. Martin is a singer, song-writer who has worked with the likes of One Direction and Nick Jonas (which, though impressive to some, means almost nothing to me). I have no idea if Martin is a believer, but his song speaks a powerful pro-life truth: life in the womb is just that, and is precious and worthy of our love. And remember, love isn't merely something we feel.

As I've noted before, "As C.S. Lewis put it, '[Love] is a state not of the feelings but of the will; that state of the will which we naturally have about ourselves, and must learn to have about other people.' In other words, do not bother so much about how you feel towards someone; act like you love them. In other words, do and say the things that true love requires. Feelings and emotions come and go, but our will can be forever unwavering. 

"Consider 1 Corinthians chapter 13, where the Apostle Paul reveals to us what true love is. 'Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.'

"Patience, kindness, a lack of envy or boasting; humility, politeness, and controlling your temper; keeping no record of wrongs, and so on—these all are matters of the will. As soon as you do these things, Lewis notes, 'we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him.'"

Of course, "behaving as if" you love the most vulnerable human beings among us--those in the womb--means that you give them everything necessary for their safety and well being. Whether a child in the womb, a difficult toddler, an awkward or rebellious teenager, a self-centered foolish adult, or an aged senior citizen burdened with dementia, we choose to say to them "I'm going to love you any way you are." And then we do all that true love requires.

(An interesting note: Martin was moved to write this song after he saw his son's heart beating on the first ultrasound his wife had. Martin said, "The lyric came right then — 'I’m going to love you anyway.'" He described the moment as "a spiritual experience." Isn't it amazing the truths that modern science reveals--undeniable even to unbelievers--and what it can move us to do?! This is exactly the reason why many want to require those seeking to kill their children in the womb to view an ultrasound of the unborn child. How many would have made a different decision on life if they had the experience of an ultrasound?)

Copyright 2015, Trevor Grant Thomas
At the Intersection of Politics, Science, Faith, and Reason.
www.trevorgrantthomas.com
Trevor and his wife Michelle are the authors of: Debt Free Living in a Debt Filled World
tthomas@trevorgrantthomas.com