LIFE IS SACRED

I love this picture. On the left is my father, 79-year old Dr. A. Gail Dunn. On the right is my youngest grandchild, Jake, who was one year old at Easter. Bookends of precious life. My Dad was a pastor and a church conference superintendent before he retired. The first years of his retirement he devoted to caring for my mother, Marilyn, who was in a final lengthy battle with cancer. He is a sacred life and he still devotes himself to helping others experience the blessing of life. Dad walks with a cane since a stroke but is a vibrant, caring Christian.

Jake is still young - just now starting to walk. In his first months he suffered from seizures that caused us great concern that he might have a handicap. Those have long sense cleared up and except for his own determined schedule of doing certain things parents are eager to "oohh and ahh", Jake is fine. He has not developed any list of credentials, he has no real history -- he is still more opportunity than experience. Jake, too, is a sacred life.

In many cultures people on both ends of this picture are considered expendable. We euthanize the one and abort the latter at the first sign of trouble. We pontificate about things like "quality of life," generally measuring that from some detached and arbitrary standard instead of looking at what is precious in each life.

Would my Dad still be a sacred life if he were in the throws of Alzheimers, totally dependent on others? Would Jake still be a sacred life if he would never be able to walk, and had a mind that was slow to grasp things?

YES !!!!!!!!