My heart is heavy today.

I recently heard a story that has been difficult to shake. A baby diagnosed with Down syndrome was aborted during the second trimester. Since hearing about it, I have found myself grieving.

Not because I know all the circumstances.

Not because I sit in judgment over anyone involved.

That is between them and God.

Lord knows I’ve been there.

I am grieving because a child is gone.

A life that was unique.

A life that was known by God.

A life that mattered.

As Christians, our view of life is not determined by culture, convenience, ability, intelligence, independence, or even a medical diagnosis. Our view of life is determined by God.

Scripture tells us that every human being is created in His image.

“Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness.’” (Genesis 1:26)

That means human value is not earned.

It is not based on productivity.

It is not based on perfection.

It is not based on physical ability.

It is not based on chromosomes.

It is not based on whether a child is wanted or unwanted.

Human value comes from being created by God.

Psalm 139 paints a beautiful picture of God’s involvement in the womb:

“For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.”

Before a baby ever takes a breath, God is already at work.

Before a mother feels the first kick, God already knows that child.

Before the world sees a face, God sees a person.

The Bible never speaks of children in the womb as potential lives.

It speaks of them as lives.

Jeremiah was known before he was born.

John the Baptist leaped in his mother’s womb.

God’s hand is evident from the very beginning.

And science continues to confirm what Scripture has declared all along: a unique human life begins at conception. The DNA is present. The blueprint is complete. Growth continues, but humanity is already there.

This is why I am pro-life.

Not because I am political.

Not because I am trying to win an argument.

Not because I lack compassion.

I am pro-life because I believe every human being bears the image of God.

Every child.

Every diagnosis.

Every ability level.

Every chromosome.

Every heartbeat.

Every life.

Including those with Down syndrome.

Especially those with Down syndrome.

A person’s worth is never determined by what they can do. Their worth is determined by whose image they bear.

God’s.

Today my heart grieves for a baby I never knew.

But it also reminds me why I will continue to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.

Not in anger.

Not in hatred.

Not in condemnation.

But in love.

Because every life matters.

Every single one.

And maybe that’s why my heart hurts so much today. Somewhere along the way, we’ve forgotten that a diagnosis does not diminish a person’s value. God doesn’t make glitches. He creates life, beautiful and valuable life. A life He died for. A life worth living.

My heart aches today.