By Susan Ciancio
Recently, a young woman in the 11th grade sent me a pro-life poem she wrote about abortion. Entitled “Mama Why?” this heartbreaking poem allows us to see abortion from the baby’s perspective. It’s both beautiful and tragic.
At the Culture of Life Studies Program, we love to see young people proudly profess their pro-life beliefs. After all, our goals are to help parents and teachers get their kids excited about our faith and to teach that all people—born and preborn—have dignity and value.
We do this through our lessons, through our blogs, and through our social media posts. We want to share the truth with you because we know that many in our society don’t want to see that truth. They want to replace God’s truth with man’s trumped up version of it—which they say can be different for each person.
Sometimes it feels like we’re fighting an uphill battle as we face this culture of death. On a daily basis, we are inundated with news about violence, school shootings, discrimination, hatred, vandalism, and more.
Our kids are bullied for their faith, teased for any differences they may have, and mocked for doing the right thing.
It takes moral courage to stand up and proudly say that abortion is evil, that euthanasia is wrong, and that all people have value. Our culture does not believe this; nor does it teach this. It spews hatred for those of faith. It spray-paints taunts on pregnancy centers that help women. And it violently attacks those who stand up for their beliefs.
So when we see young people like Addi Leigh Ferry, who wrote “Mama Why?” we want to stand up and say something—to her, to her parents, and to the culture.
This young woman gets it! She understands that a human being exists from the first moment of creation. She understands that it’s wrong to kill this baby. And she understands that she has a roll to play in helping right this wrong. Addy is using her talents to protect God’s children. We can learn an important lesson from her.
We must learn this important lesson from her.
All human beings are valuable and loved. And all should be treated with respect, kindness, and compassion.
So as we embark on the last few days before Holy Week, let us remember Christ’s sacrifice. He died for you, for me, and for all people who have ever lived and who will ever live. There is not one person He does not love. There is not one person He did not die for.
Christ told His apostles to go out and spread the gospel to the nations. He didn’t tell them to just teach their friends. He didn’t say to only talk to people who were welcoming. He wants all people to know about Him, even those who are resistant.
This is what Addi is doing with her poem. She is reaching people who may not have thought about abortion. She is opening their eyes. She is teaching.
So I urge to read and share her poem. I urge you to show it to your teens. I urge you to teach your children about the sanctity of all human beings.
Our culture will not change if we do not work to change it. It is up to all of us to take part in this. Let us not only reflect on this poem but on the courage of a bright young girl who was brave enough to pen it.
