An Incalculable Loss

Two things can be true at once.

The first, illustrated by the Front Page of the Sunday, May 24th, New York Times, visually demonstrates the gut punch the nation has taken from the Coronavirus pandemic.

As we near 100,000 deaths, and we hear the stories behind the names, it all seems surreal. This has happened before in history, but few thought we would see this level of worldwide devastation from a virus. Not today.

The virus kills the weak and vulnerable mostly. Those who are young and healthy carry few worries. It is an incalculable loss.

Two things can be true at once.

The second is since Roe v. Wade. in 1973, we’ve lost 61,628,584 lives (1973-2019).

Is it okay to acknowledge this without devolving into a political food fight? Can we acknowledge the cost without the filter of causation?

If the loss of 100,000 is incalculable, how much more a loss that is more than 600 times as large?

This, too, kills the weak and vulnerable. But it isn’t indiscriminate. There is a choice involved.

If two things can be true at once, so can three.

If you’ve had an abortion, this is not to cast judgement or aspersions in any way. For the ones who initiated an early termination, many also experience an incalculable loss. There are no winners…

But here’s another truth: the past is gone. Forgiveness and peace are accessible. “No condemnation” is a promise.

Life is fleeting. It is a gift.

As we seek equality and work against inequities, maybe life could be a frontier of cooperation. Life is life, is it not?

Maybe another truth?