Motherhood and children are indispensable
Greetings from Faith Lutheran Church in Eldorado,
St. Paul writes, "On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable," (1 Corinthians 12:22)
In this section of 1 Corinthians he is focused on the unity of the church comparing it to our body. Some in the congregation at Corinth were thinking that they counted as being more important. Their gifts, talents, or money made them more essential than others. Those who viewed themselves as stronger saw others as expendable.
Paul asks his readers to think of their senses like sight and hearing, as well as other parts of their anatomy, and points out the foolishness of one part rejecting the other. In a sense, he asks of which they might want to give up or cut out. Most of us if told someone was going to remove part of our body that is healthy would protest the decision. A doctor that accidentally amputates a part of your body may rightly expect a lawsuit. St. Paul didn't know about chromosomes, but he may have used them as an example.
Chromosomes to a layman may appear small, weak, or even nonessential but to remove or mess with the one of the 23 pairs of chromosomes in a person's body can cause death or a major birth defect. Down Syndrome is caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. It doesn't seem like a significant change, but it is.
The weakest members of humanity from a physical standpoint are children. Children, especially under age three, have the highest victimization rate. More children die of abuse than any other age group. For many in developed countries, children have become the least essential and most expendable. Russia, China, and America all have birthrates that will not sustain the population of the nation or their economy. According to the BBC in January 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin is attempting to stimulate the birthrate in Russia to maintain their economy and nation.
Today in America motherhood, to some, is one the least valued traits for a woman. For many, the good life is being free from having children. Modern philosophies have preached that children are bad. Even the Episcopalian church is telling her members to have fewer children. America is a very individualistic nation and the push for being an individual for many means being free from others, including children. Being successful in a career, wealth, and fame seems to be the preferred value and children get in the way. Yet, remember Supreme Court Justice Amy Barrett has seven children and they didn't limit her. Too often, a woman is told that having children will ruin her chance of achieving worldly success. Perhaps Russia knows something we don't or refuses to acknowledge - children are a gift from God.
To devalue motherhood, children, and the family is a grave mistake. They may seem weak and expendable, but like the chromosomes of our body, they become indispensable.