Immoral actions, blessed children

She felt bad about not having children, so she tried an “outside the box” solution.

It worked, but then she felt even worse.

As we hear in today’s first reading (from Genesis 16), Abraham’s wife Sarah tried a technique that was used by many well-to-do but childless couples in that time and place: she gave her maid to her husband as a concubine.

Sarah soon regrets the decision and makes things worse by abusing her pregnant servant.

It was a messy situation – morally and otherwise – and yet God would bless the child born of Sarah’s maid. (Call him Ishmael.)

In today’s world, many childless couples try various approaches to obtain a successful pregnancy and a healthy baby. Some of these approaches are appropriate, some of them are imprudent, and some of them are evil, yet no matter what the circumstances of a child’s conception may be, that child is created in the image and likeness of God with the same dignity of any other human being. Our respect for children should never be adversely affected by the sins of their parents or of anyone else who may have been involved.

Ironically, if Sarah had only been more patient, none of these troubles would have taken place, for the Lord would bless her with a son of her own. Of course, even if it had been God’s will that they remain childless, God’s blessings and promises would still have been fulfilled for them, in ways beyond their imagining.

Yet things happened as they happened and a child was born: blessed by God in spite of everything.

May we never let the sins and failing of parents or the circumstances of conception detract from the respect and care that we should have for every child.