(Kidnapping is a terrible crime, and often victims and families are devastated as a result. Please understand that the following is a fictional account of an unusual kidnapping, used only for the purpose of creating something for thought, and not for the purpose of treating victims of crime lightly, nor judging them.)
A woman is walking down the street when, suddenly, she is struck and grabbed by a man, and forcefully pushed into the front passenger seat of a car. He jumps into the driver's seat, and speeds off. The doors of the car have been left unlocked, but she is not aware of that. The kidnapper stops at several red lights, all while the doors of the car remain unlocked.
The kidnapper decides to make a quick stop at a convenience store, and he leaves the vehicle, again leaving the doors unlocked. The woman remains in the front seat. After a short time, the kidnapper returns to the car, and drives them away.
He next stops at a diner for a meal, leaving the woman in the unlocked car. By this time, she has become aware that the car is unlocked, but even if it were still locked, she could unlock the door, and leave the car during the kidnapper's absence. She remains in the passenger seat, and the kidnapper returns.They drive all night, making various stops along the way, again with the car doors left unlocked.
By the second night, the kidnapper stops at an old house in a dark, quiet neighborhood. He pulls the woman from the car, and into the house with him. Once inside the house, he turns and locks the door by pushing the button on the door knob, and sliding the door chain into place. The woman watches him set these locks. These locks, of course, can be opened anytime from inside the house. He then leaves the room, and she hears the sound of his movements in the next room. She remains standing in place.
A short time later, the kidnapper returns to where the woman is waiting. The woman reaches into her purse, pulls out a gun, and shoots him dead.
At the sound of the gunshot, the police are called to the scene, where they find the dead kidnapper, and the woman who shot him. The woman tells the police that she was kidnapped, and she has the legal right to self defense, which she exercised.
The police investigate, checking security cameras that captured the scene of her forceful kidnapping. They agree that she was the victim of a crime, and had the right to defend herself, even with deadly force, according to the facts they have discovered. The kidnapper turns out to have had a long record of violent crime, and no one is surprised at his fate.
You may say, "That's not justice in this case. She had many opportunities to escape, and knew it. She didn't have to kill to get free, nor in order to defend her life."
Although the legal process was satisfied, we, the readers, know that though many kidnap victims do not have any opportunities to escape, this particular woman had many opportunities to do so before the use of deadly force was applied. We can agree that even though she was dealing with a wicked man, there were other options available along the way that might have made her choice to take his life unnecessary and avoidable.
You may say that this kidnapping scenario is unrealistic, and a real victim would never ignore opportunities to escape, while choosing to kill instead. However, this happens everyday in our society, where we ignore the options of escape, and choose to kill instead. It happens when we choose the legal option of abortion. If it is unjust to take the life of a wicked man when there are other options of escape available, how much more unjust is it to take the life of an innocent, when there are other options of escape?
Even when the law of the land is applied and satisfied regarding the choices it allows us, it doesn't always reflect moral rightness and truth. Although ending a life may sometimes, in certain circumstances, be necessary, truth compels us to admit that very often we have many opportunities of easy escape before using the option to take a life, an innocent life, a child's life. Even by secular reasoning, it is impossible to justify taking a child's life based simply on one's "choice".
As adults, we clearly understand, without having to list them here, that there are many and varied options that we could choose, easy escapes even from the very beginning, before we find ourselves in circumstances where we decide to choose the option legally available to us of taking an innocent child's life. Legality does not justify us. It only exempts us from the punishment of society. The law of the land will not justify us, nor excuse us, from the righteousness, justice and truth of God's heart.
"I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore, choose life, that both you and your descendants may live." Deut. 30:19
"Let us choose justice for ourselves; Let us know among ourselves what is good." Job 34:4
"Curds and honey he shall eat; that he may know to refuse the evil and choose the good."
Isa. 7:15
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations." Jer. 1:5
"I was cast upon You from birth; From my mother's womb You have been my God."
Ps. 22:10
"For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb." Ps. 139:13
"Thus says the LORD who made you and formed you from the womb, who will help you."
Isa. 44:2
"...The LORD has called me from the womb; From the inward parts of my mother He has made mention of my name." Isa. 49:1
The scriptures make very clear to us that God forms us and knows us before we are born. He expects us to know good from evil, and to choose the good. He wants us to discern the difference between the things of life and the things of death, and to choose the things pertaining to life.
On each Sabbath, many Jewish households lay hands on their children's heads, and speak a blessing over them from Num.6 (watch here). Many churches also speak this blessing over children when baptizing and dedicating them. God instructed His people to bless their children in this manner. The blessing is:
"The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine upon you;
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace."
Num. 6:24-26
Scripture tells us that Jesus loved children, and was always happy to see them and receive them (Mt. 19:14).
If we are going to put our hands on our children, then it should be for the purpose of blessing them, and not harming them.
However, even if we have made choices in the past that we now regret, and cause us deep sorrow, our Father promises us that He will forgive us if we ask, heal us in those deep, hurting places, and He will even trust us anew with choice.
Our Father instructs us to bless our children, and choose life, for ourselves, and for them.
"Prayer-Bless the Children"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1i0hsA-Uog
Hebrew Blessing upon the Children (Num. 6:24-27)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXbaWeT3co8
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