In other words, none of us are better or worse for being a man or woman, young or old, sick or strong, black or white, born or unborn. Each human life has equal inherent moral worth. It’s an ethic that is found throughout the Bible.
Rev. Michael W. Salemink, executive director of Lutherans For Life, writes, “Life’s irreversible value is not limited to a few isolated passages. It is not a peripheral afterthought to the biblical history and narrative. The belovedness of all human persons belongs to the heart of the Gospel and the fabric of God’s relationship of forgiveness and salvation.”
It’s this ethic that underpins Grounded in God’s Word: Commentaries on Life, a collection of short, easy-to-read essays that confront important conversations of our day. Each essay is grounded in Scripture. All of them are practical.
For example, in “An Able God for Disabled People,” the author makes the distinction between allowing a person to die and causing someone to die. The distinction is an important one, particularly for those who are caring for the terminally ill.
Some chapters amount to a short study of Bible passages such as “The Annunciation and the Beginning of Life” (Luke 1:26-38) or “Valuing the Life of the Unborn Child” (Exodus 21:22-25).
The most technical and longest chapter is on contraceptive methods. Other chapters are devotional in nature, providing comfort and hope.
While the occasional cross-reference sits at the end of a chapter, what would make this slim volume even better would be a list of additional resources to learn more about each topic, since the ideal reader of this book is probably a Christian who wants to be equipped to be a Gospel-motivated voice for life—a task too large for these bite-sized essays.
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