Pro-life means much more than opposition to abortion. My wife Gloria and I learned this lesson personally when we received a call that our 21-year-old grand-nephew, Justin, was hospitalized after a serious motorcycle accident. He sustained major head injuries, was placed on a life support system, and it looked like he might not survive. I led the family in prayer, and we waited, hopeful in the Lord and in the fine medical care that he was receiving.
A few days later I was awakened after midnight by a phone call: “We need you, Uncle Bob! Come to the hospital right away.” It was about 2 a.m. when a meeting was held with a man who, we understood, represented a division of the hospital—a strange hour, indeed. A chaplain, whose faith community would have been very difficult to identify by her virtual silence and unusual appearance, accompanied him.
The family was distraught. We were told that our grand-nephew had indicated on his driver’s license that he was willing to be an organ donor. The hospital representative spoke of loved ones who live on through their generous gift of vital organs, and it seemed that a decision needed to be made immediately by the family.
“Is he gone then?” I asked. “Is there no hope?” I addressed my questions to a nurse who was standing nearby, and who seemed somewhat disturbed by what was happening. “No,” she said firmly, “he is not gone. He is still fighting!”
“Then a decision does not have to made at this time,” I concluded, thanking the Lord for that brave young nurse. The hospital representative excused himself, and left the room.
What happened to Justin? Well, he woke up after the doctors decided it was time to end his induced coma. He has seen major recovery, and the good news recently is that he got his driver’s license again. His mind is clear, and there is no recollection of his accident or most of his time in the hospital. There’s still progress to be made, but he continues to be hopeful, and so are we.
What happened that night in the hospital? One cannot be completely sure, but, hearing similar stories from others, I have learned to be uneasy when I hear about “quality of life” and “living on in the bodies of others.” My wife and I are learning, too, that our commitment to the sanctity of life means a commitment to all of the seasons of life, from the unborn child to the aged—even to the accident victims like Justin whose future “quality of life” may be questionable—because life is a gift from our Creator God that only He has the right to terminate.
Rev. Robert L. Lee is president of the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations, the fourth largest Lutheran church body in the United States, with over 250 member congregations; www.aflc.org.