Writing a talk on the 7th commdment this week and came across these quotes from Stanley Hauerwas (from "The Truth About God" 1999):
"The term "planned parenthood" doesn't quite fit how Christians ought to have children, for children are not our choice as much as they are God's choice for us. Much harm has been done to children in our era through children being reduced to projects of the parents. Children are not our achievements, or our rights, or our projects. They are God's gifts. Of course, the gift of chlidren is sometimes a gift that disrupts our lives, creating all sorts of anarchy. Sometimes our dull little lives need the gift of some divine anarchy. Christians know that our lives are not merely meant to be safe, therefore God gives us something more interesting to do with our lives than maintaining mere security. God gives us children".
And:
"Those who are single in the church also bear parental responsibilities since, in baptism, everyone in the church is a parent. As Sunday school teachers, confirmation mentors, and faithful examples of the faith, single people can do much to nurture our children in the faith [...] Because Christians do not have to marry to be faithful to Christ, marriage is viewed by us as a calling to be tested by the church. It is not the single who must explain their status to the church but the married".
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
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2 comments:
THANK YOU for this. Long have I had to justify my unmarried status, especially as women in their latter 30's are thought to be 'running out of time' as though procreation in life is the only purpose for a woman to have or the only way to have social/spiritual value.
Having said that it doesn't mean either is more or less difficult than the other. There are costs and gains in all the aspects of life.
Both paths have immense value, neither is 'alternative' or suspect. Both give opportunities to serve God in our weakness and to rely on him fully.
It's a shame this sort of message isn't preached and stated so explicitly more often amongst Chrisitans in general.
Nige: As a soon-to-be-parent, that first quote cuts. I'm presuming (read: hoping like mad) there will be some divine order in the midst of the divine anarchy.
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