By Janet Hochberg
Special to the Herald
This commentary serves as a “save the date” notice for the 48th annual Hawaii March for Life to be held virtually via Zoom, 4-6 p.m., Jan. 22. Bishop Larry Silva will be among the speakers. That evening, the Knights of Columbus will be the only group making the traditional walk around the state capitol. The theme for the 2021 event is “We are God’s masterpiece.” (Ephesians 2:10)
As 2020 soon comes to a close, and COVID-19 is still at the forefront of our lives, we are blessed for each breath and the privilege to “Oh come let us adore him” with our hearts bowed in reverence this Christmas season.
As we adore the birth of our savior Jesus, we are humbled at the many unpretentious people God used in miraculous ways to signify the treasure of birth from a mother’s womb, the sacredness and sanctity of human life, each one valued, priceless and incredibly made in the image of Almighty God himself!
According to the Gospel of Luke, Elizabeth was “of the daughters of Aaron.” She and her husband Zachariah were “righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless” but childless. While he was in the Temple of the Lord, Zachariah was visited by the angel Gabriel.
The angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zachariah. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.”
Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.
The angel Gabriel then was sent to Nazareth in Galilee to Elizabeth’s relative, Mary, a virgin, betrothed to a man named Joseph. He informed her that she would conceive by the Holy Spirit and bring forth a son to be called Jesus. Mary was also told that her relative Elizabeth had begun her sixth month of pregnancy. Mary traveled to Hebron in the hill country of Judah to visit Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the BABY LEAPED in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit! In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leapt for joy.”
As we close out 2020, let’s cherish the birth of our precious Savior and King. God has created each human life, fearfully and wonderfully, through the power of his great love, that not one life, born or unborn, should perish. How amazing it was that John was filled with the Holy Spirit at conception and later his mother Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit with the revelation that her relative Mary carried the Savior of the world.
As we approach the 48th annual March for Life on Jan. 22, resolve in your hearts to pray for the unborn. As many as 400,000 of our ohana in the aloha state have died from elective abortion on demand since its decriminalization in 1973 in the landmark Supreme Court decision Roe v Wade.
One life lost to abortion is one too many and grieves the heart of our Father — Father to the fatherless, the orphan and widow. Yet as we read in the amazing story of Elizabeth and Mary, God is always working out a plan for us. Through the lives of their unborn babies, history took on a whole new direction — forgiveness of mankind’s sins and salvation to all who believe. “Oh come let us adore him”!
When we devalue human life, through abortion, assisted suicide, euthanasia and human trafficking, society suffers for generations. When we embrace a young girl or woman who is facing an unplanned pregnancy, we can trust in the promises of God that all life matters to him, because at conception all life was given by him.
As the unpretentious babe in the manger was sent to earth for us, we should be filled with joy at the gift of life knowing God has a plan for each one, just as the Virgin Mother Mary and Elizabeth were!
We are God’s masterpiece. As we adore him, know he adores us a million times more!
Janet Hochberg is executive director of Hawaii Life Alliance, sponsor of the annual Hawaii March for Life.
