Most of my conversations on campus tend to focus specifically on abortion, the rights of unborn human beings, and how we can balance those rights with protecting and respecting a woman’s right to her body.
Rebekah speaks to a student at Texas State University in October 2022
In the midst of discussing these topics, there is often a natural segue to discuss the deeper worldview questions of why humans matter all and whether we can really know if anything is morally right or wrong. I talked to a young man I’ll call “Ethan” at Wichita State University in September, and our conversation quickly turned to these deeper questions.
He told me early in the conversation that even if abortion is killing a human being, it wouldn’t matter. I sensed this statement was coming from a complicated and maybe even painful place within him so I asked him if he thought human beings in general mattered. I asked him if he thought his life mattered. I speak with many people on campus who don’t think their life matters. If they cannot understand their own worth and value, it’s going to be even more difficult to help them understand the value and dignity of another human being they cannot see.
Ethan and I found a place to sit down, and we began talking about how we can know what is right and wrong. We discussed moral relativism, the existence of God, why humans matter, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
He shared with me that he was gay, had many bad experiences in the church, and was bullied a lot in school. As we talked, I was able to tell him that his life does matter, and I was able to encourage him to read the gospels and get to know Jesus, the only one who can heal all our brokenness and set us free from our sin. A couple of hours later, Ethan came back as we were getting ready to leave campus, and he wanted to know if I had anything else I had wanted to share. So we sat down again, and I encouraged him a second time to seek Jesus and read His word.
Rebekah had a similar conversation with this young man Texas State University in October 2022
When Ethan came back, it reminded me of how deep the desire is in the human spirit to truly understand why we are here. Human beings matter and should be equally protected from violence and harm because they have intrinsic worth given from the Creator. Abortion is such a monumental issue in our country and around the world because people have forsaken God. They have rejected his call on their lives, and how they ought to love and treat others. When they live according to their own rules, human beings suffer. Violence and injustice become defended virtues.
When Jesus healed a demon-possessed man from the Gerasenes, he told the man to go back to his hometown and tell them how much God had done for him. (Luke 8:39) Our freedom in Christ and the healing we have received from Jesus is meant to be shared. May we always be willing and ready to go and tell people how much God has done for us.