It's a basic aspect of human relationships: make eye contact. When we
fail to do so at the appropriate times, we fail to show interest in the other
person. We may seem too distracted to care, or perhaps ashamed of something.
Failure to make eye contact is failure to connect.
That's one of the challenges of loving the most vulnerable population in our
midst, the children in the womb. We don't have eye contact with them.
When you love a person, you want to look into his or her eyes, rather than
loving from afar. You want to see the person's face. Even the love of God is
described this way. The Book of Revelation announces the ultimate destiny of the
human family, the culmination of their salvation, in this way: "They shall see
Him face to face" (Rev. 22:4)
Veteran animal-rights activist Jim Mason relates this boyhood experience,
which illustrates the power of the face:
I was out there sitting on a stump enjoying the woods, and I heard the
yelping sounds and my dog -- my dog then was Butch -- came racing across the
clearing chasing a fox. Again, whether it was conditioning or whatever, I just
pulled up the gun and shot the fox, wounded it, didn't kill it...
So my dog and I located the den and dug it out…As we dug more and more, I
could see the poor fox in there suffering and bleeding to death. And the look on
its face -- it was just another one of those moments when … I just felt
horrible. I just felt absolutely ashamed to have done this. It was like I had
committed a horrible mistake.
Freeman Wicklund started the Student Organization for Animal Rights at the
University of Minnesota after staring into the eyes of a hog about to be
slaughtered. Attorney and prominent feminist Lori Peterson states, ``It's not
fair for the scientists to demean the feelings of these creatures. Once you've
looked into their eyes… you can't turn away. Ever.'' Kim Bartlett, editor of
Animal People, describes a shift in her view of suffering: . . . "I received
a piece of mail....it was about fur and contained...pictures of a fox and rabbit
caught in leghold traps. The look in their eyes pierced my soul...I sat down and
cried" (1990, p. 95).
The eyes teach us about the one who suffers, whether it be an animal or human
victim. For a moment, we pierce the veil that separates our experience from
theirs, and temporarily see and feel the world as they do.
You may have seen the GE commercial about 4D ultrasound (if not, you can see
it on the internet at
www.gemedicalsystems.com/rad/us/4d/commercial.html). It shows a baby in
incredible clarity, and plays "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face."
Don’t be afraid to look into the face of the unborn, both alive and aborted.
You'll find the strength to love them more.
