Boss Baby

Seeing why abortion is wrong and letting babies be boss

12/05/2021

Lk 3:1-6 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert. John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

Have you ever noticed how babies barge into our lives and pretty much take over our lives? It is said that "the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world." But the crying baby really rules the hand that rocks the cradle, so who really rules the world? The baby is the boss. When babies barge into our lives most parents feel they are overwhelmed and underpaid.

I will never forget how my brother Paul reacted when his first baby boy was born. He gently held the little brown bundle with big dark eyes in his hands. Paul could barely see the baby because of the tears in my brother’s own eyes. My brother felt overcome with joy, but an instant later he felt overwhelmed by terror. Why? Well, he had no idea how to care for a baby. Who really does? When we hold our baby in our hands, we quickly realize our life is out of our hands. In other words, babies barge into our lives and turn them upside down, and they really take control.

In the gospel of Luke, John the Baptist announces the coming of Christ. Thirty years earlier angels announced the coming of Christ as a Baby in Bethlehem. And this heavenly Baby would barge into the lives of everyone in first century Palestine, leaving them feeling overwhelmed and underpaid. Just like the birth of his firstborn son overwhelmed my brother, so the birth and coming of Christ overwhelmed everyone, especially the rulers of the world. That is why Luke mentions them by name: Caesar, Pilate, Herod, Philip, Lysanias, Annas and Caiaphas. Their hands may have ruled the world, but one day this Baby would rule them. Indeed, they were so bothered by the Baby of Bethlehem, they wanted to kill him. Every baby, especially the Baby of Bethlehem, turns our lives upside down, and really takes control.

It is in this context I would like to say a few words about the Supreme Court and the Mississippi abortion case. Did you hear about that? Last week the nine justices of the high court heard oral arguments for and against the state of Mississippi that wants to ban abortions after 15 weeks. The landmark 1973 decision, Roe v. Wade, basically banned abortions after 24-26 weeks. This new decision, therefore, has the potential to essentially overturn the old decision.

I do not know what will happen if the high court changes the current abortion law and potentially protects the lives of millions of American babies. There could be significant civil unrest, with riots, protests and violence. It is possible new abortion laws may be enacted by individual states, to protect or abort babies. Or, maybe the U.S. Congress will legislate federal laws for the whole land and take matters out of the hands of the Supreme Court. But speculating on such scenarios is above my paygrade so I’ll leave it to smarter people.

But I do know this much: it is always hard to have a baby! Why? Well, no matter how much we plan and prepare, attend Lamaze classes and pick the right color for the baby’s room, eat right and avoid alcohol, babies burst into our lives and upset the apple-cart of normalcy, and nothing is the same anymore. Like my brother felt, so, too, everyone who brings a baby into the world feels a jolt of joy but also a touch of terror. Why? Well, parents want their hands to rule at least their own little worlds, but babies barge in and really rule them.

And that is the root reason why we have abortions. People may argue that abortion is about “reproductive rights,” but that is just a fancy way of saying we want to be our own boss rather than having a “boss baby” ruling us like in the animated movie, “The Boss Baby.” In other words, what Roe v. Wade decided almost 50 years ago is exactly what the rulers of Palestine decided 2000 years ago: we would rather kill babies than let them turn our lives upside down.

My friends, every Advent we prepare for the birth of a Baby who barged into the lives of Mary and Joseph, and the Holy Couple humbly let him be their Boss, and let him rule their lives. That is the same invitation the Baby of Bethlehem makes to each of us, and indeed to the whole world, and in a unique way even to the Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, they will be a lot like Mary and Joseph and let all babies barge into our lives. Who will be the boss of our lives: the hand that rocks the cradle, or the crying baby that rules that hand?

Praised be Jesus Christ!