This month in the United States, there has been no shortage of egregiously bad news. This week, a young Muslim woman from Chicago who thought her parents might kill her over having a child out of wedlock, threw the newly born infant out of her eighth floor bedroom window. The infant girl died at a hospital later with a listing of injuries that would make ISIS cringe. Another baby was found recently in the Los Angeles area, abandoned with umbilical cord attached and buried with construction debris. Joggers luckily heard muffled cries. This baby will survive. I just read an article concerning an African American bail bondsman who is alleged to have beaten his seven year old son to death and then fed his remains to the pigs. Neighbors seemed to be well aware of a number of instances of severe abuse of children who were residing in the man's home.
There has always been wickedness upon the Earth, often bordering the homes of those who do very great good. There have been occasional babies born in toilets since there were toilets. However, even if we adjust for the ability of the internet to bring all the egregious news of wickedness to us, there is still great evil perpetrated against babies and children, and this appears to be increasing.
We cannot always know of the suffering of babies and small children which occurs in our world. Sometimes, such things do occur in relative isolation. Sometimes, other individuals are complicit in such acts and cover for someone who is profoundly ill, or perhaps simply profoundly evil. However, we must try as a culture, and as a world to do better. When you are out and around, work on your situational awareness. Don't simply be aware of the man who is watching your purse. Notice more than that. Notice the sick infant in a carseat locked in the Altima in the Wal-Mart parking lot. Maybe the misguided mother will be back in three minutes with tylenol, but maybe she won't. Maybe that child's only chance at survival is your sitting in your car, noting the time, and calling police when no one returns. I am a big believer in parent's rights, but there are a number of people who are pervasively neglectful and abusive to small children. If decent people don't notice things and bring them to the attention of social services and police, then a percentage of these children will in effect, be tortured, and will die.
Some years ago, a woman who'd had recent surgery died in a neighborhood I lived in, and her newborn died in the crib in the same room, the result of no one knowing the child was there without being attended to, post the mom's sudden death. No one noticed they hadn't seen them ! I didn't know this woman, but I have felt badly about this ever since. It may not be wise to intrude in the business of others, but we need to keep an eye on those with young children. Sudden deaths occur, even in young people, and a baby alone may not live more than a couple of days without care. We also know that even young children can carry the scars of a couple of days of neglect which most of us believe they would not remember.
A child is always a blessing...............not an obligation, a millstone, a killjoy, an expense or an albatross. Each child is blameless as he or she enters the world, and knows nothing of the circumstances which brought them here. Each one of them is chock full of human potential and we should all conduct ourselves accordingly. To those who are bringing a child onto the Earth that they do not wish to raise.....seek an adoption agency immediately. Hundreds of couples who are carefully vetted would be elated to have the opportunity to love, raise, and educate that child. Of course, there are less than perfect adoptive parents in the world, but most are incredible parents and will raise incredible children. One of my dear friends was adopted by a wonderful family.
Especially at this time of year when we throw material goods at one another in Jesus' name, we need to recall that every birth whether legitimate, planned for, wanted, or an infant well, or ill, is proof of the opinion of God that they should overcome incredible odds to join us here on Earth. When we can, let's start noticing the children at risk, and reporting what you saw to the correct authorities. Lets save some young lives.
