In
the days leading up to Christmas I will be posting a series on some of the good
works and wonderful blessings to mankind that are a “side effect” of Jesus’
birth. (See the introductory post here.) This series is inspired by “What if Jesus Had Never Been Born” by the
late Dr. D. James Kennedy.
Christ showed in his life and death that every human life, no matter how
degenerate, matters to Him. He also reinforced the foundational teaching that
God made men and women in His own image (Genesis 1:27), giving them real
value.
Here are a few of the millions of specific examples one can find of
people inspired by Christ to value human life when it was hard to do….
- Justinian, a Christian emperor of Byzantium, formally codified
humanitarian laws inspired by Christianity in a sweeping reform of the cruel
laws and practices of the Romans. These included outlawing the cruel pagan
practice of abortion (including exposure of unwanted children to the elements),
mandating that children found abandoned be cared for and baptized. He also
created legislation: against some cruel sports practiced at the time; to
protect slaves from some forms of cruelty; to protect the outcast; and to
protect women.
- The invention of hospitals. Quoting from an article in
2008 published in the Croatian Medical
Journal, “A radical change occurred in the late
Antiquity, with the rise of Christianity, which embraced charity as one of its
basic doctrines. The first hospitals were founded when Christianity became the
state religion of the Roman Empire.”
- Chivalry was invented by the
Church as a means to tone down and check the violence of barbarian warlords. As
Leon Gautier, arguably still the foremost expert in the study of chivalry from medieval
literature, puts it: “Not being able to prevent war, the Church has
Christianized the soldier. And so we are logically led to elucidate the origin
of this chivalry, which on a former page we have termed 'a German custom
idealized by the Church.'”
- William Wilberforce, inspired by the gospel (and partly due to the influence of a
former slave trader converted to Christ), worked tirelessly to abolish the
slave trade in England in the 18th century.
- Florence Nightingale, inspired by a calling from Christ, risked her life during the
Crimean war to improve the condition of wounded soldiers, and then risked her
reputation to improve the work of nurses everywhere. She said, “People talk about imitating Christ, and imitate Him in the
little trifling formal things, such as washing the feet, saying His prayer, and
so on; but if anyone attempts the real imitation of Him, there are no bounds to
the outcry with which the presumption of that person is condemned.”
- Cannabalism in Fiji and other
islands was eradicated when the gospel spread by brave missionaries, like Thomas Baker, who risked (and in his case, gave)
their lives to tell islanders about Christ.
- JT Olsen, inspired by Christian
faith, founded an organization called Both
Hands, which has helped thousands of orphans that might otherwise be outcast
and even starving on the street to find homes. And this while helping widows
repair their houses.
And there you have it! A few more reasons you should think of the birth of Christ as tidings of great comfort and joy!
"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” -Matthew 25:40
