My Pro-Life Reflections

What does it mean to be "pro-life?" So often this question devolves into mud-slinging, insults and gross over-generalizations. I have been blessed with several conversations recently rooted in mutual love and respect even when we wrestled with our disagreements.

At the heart of our sharing was that the single most important issue to many in this election is to protect unborn life. These honest and loving conversations have helped me come to some important clarity about how my own faith informs what being "pro-life" means to me.

I pray that God will continue to shape, inform, and guide me as I continue to learn, listen, and grow over time. For today, however, here is where I faithfully stand…

I am in favor or protecting UNBORN life by…

• preserving a planet that will provide clean air & water to sustain life for generations yet unborn.

• supporting communities and families where love is the foundation, honesty is honored, kindness is nurtured and integrity is valued.

• allowing for religious liberty so that each person can freely choose and practice their own faith tradition.

I am in favor of protecting BORN life by…

• providing access to health care, food and affordable housing for all.

• advocating for racial justice and a re-examination of legal practices that have led to mass incarceration on a scale unprecedented in human history.

• offering education and training so that each born life can fulfill their deepest potential and earn a living wage.

Being pro-life is so much deeper and wider than a single issue - and even far broader than the few issues I mention above. I support candidates and policies that I believe will protect all life in the broadest sense of the word – those living in the present and for generations to come.

I humbly share these reflections and would be honored to engage in honest, respectful conversation so that we might grow in our understanding of one another.