Fighting for Dear Life (36 page)

You know what?

The world is not going to get any more excited about Jesus than we are. The idea behind seeking His face is that we are to pursue Jesus with the same passion, the same energy, and the same single-mindedness as anything else that thrills our soul in this life. One indicator of our priorities and what captures our hearts is where we spend our time. The Barna Group found that ‘‘born again Christians spend
seven times
as much time on entertainment as they do on spiritual activities''
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(emphasis added).

Let's contrast that with the story of the pearl of great price. Jesus was speaking to His disciples about the passionate pursuit of God's kingdom. He says, ‘‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it'' (Matthew 13:45– 46). Do you see the difference?

King David set a wonderful example of seeking God with passion and a holy gusto. In Psalm 63:1–2, David compares the seeking heart to the yearnings of a thirsty man: ‘‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.'' Why is David so captivated by God? He writes, ‘‘Because thy lovingkindness is better than life'' (v. 3a).

4 . TURN FROM OUR WICKED WAYS

From the beginning of the Bible to the last page, one thing is perfectly clear, and it can be found in every book of the Bible. Simply stated: God will bless righteousness; God must judge sin. It's His very nature as a holy God that if someone is living holy and right, He will bless that; and if there is sin, He must judge it.

When God looks at our country, what does He see?

Do you think He hears the cry of the 1.5 billion aborted babies? Does He see the Supreme Court sanctioning behavior that He clearly denounces as sin? Does His heart break when He watches His people nod in approval of Terri's death? Does He see the pastors of our churches living private lives that contradict their public preaching?

The tension is that we want to live like the world, but when we die we still want to be admitted into heaven. We don't want to live like Christians here. We'd rather live life on our own terms than obey God. Does that sound like I'm overstating the condition of the church today? A number of years ago, George H. Gallup surveyed the attitudes and behavior choices within our churches. Here's a summary of what he found:

There's little difference in ethical behavior between the churched and the unchurched. There's as much pilferage and dishonesty among the churched as the unchurched. And I'm afraid that applies pretty much across the board: religion, perse, is not really life changing. People cite it as important, for instance, in overcoming depression—but it doesn't have primacy in determining behavior.
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If the church is flirting with sin while asking God to move in her midst, she's asking God to violate His very nature and His Word. I often wonder if we've gotten so sloppy with our spiritual lives that, in a measure, much of the prayer we're engaged in is not having the impact we think it has before the Lord.

We can watch in disbelief, in horror, or in silent apathy while the courts, the ethicists, and the social engineers play God with life-and-death decisions. Or we can fight for dear life. How? By becoming agents of change who start with seeking a changed heart. And by humbling ourselves and committing ourselves to prayer, by seeking God's face and repenting of our negligence. In turn, America will experience the hand of blessing from a loving Savior who promises to heal our land.

God has said: ‘‘I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live'' (Deuteronomy 30:19).

What kind of country will we leave our children and grandchildren? Will we be a nation that defends the value and purpose of every life? Will we speak for those who have no voice—for the disabled and the unborn? Will we reorient our priorities to cherish and sacrificially love those the world says don't have a life worth living? Will we strive with everything we have—our hearts, our homes, and our resources—to preserve life and, in so doing, point others to the Author of Life?

If we want to continue to experience the Lord's blessing in America, if we desire His healing touch, and if we long to see our courts protecting life, we must humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, and repent. If we do, a revival will sweep across this land like a much-needed rain in a time of drought.

It's happened before in our country and it can happen again. That is my fervent hope and prayer for God's people. Yes, today is the day to adopt the heart of God and to fight for dear life.

For the least of these.

For Terri.

APPENDIX A

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS :
TERRI AND THE CASE
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Did Terri Schiavoever execute a living will or put her wishes in writing?

Answer: No, she did not.

What did Judge Greer have todetermine since there was no writing?

Answer: Florida law required him to find ‘‘clear and convincing'' evidence of Terri's wishes.

Why couldn't Terri divorce Michael?

Answer: Florida law would not allow it without Michael's permission, and he would not consent to it.

Why couldn't a new guardian be appointed to care for Terri?

Answer: Although the Schindlers asked Judge Greer several times to remove Michael as Terri's guardian, based on a number of potential conflicts of interest between Michael and Terri, the judge consistently denied their petitions.

Why couldn't the media see Terri?

Answer: Michael Schiavo and Judge Greer would not allow them in.

Why wasn't Terri taken outside?

Answer: Michael Schiavo would not allow her to be seen in public. He also chose to not have her wheelchair repaired or replaced.

Why wasn't Terri getting therapy?

Answer: Michael Schiavo did not think it would help her, and the court did not require him to provide it for Terri.

Why couldn't Terri get a new trial with a different judge?

Answer: The appeals courts affirmed Judge Greer's rulings, and Judge Greer refused to recuse himself from the proceedings.

Why did the appeals courts not overturn Judge Greer?

Answer: The appeals courts review the law (not the facts of a case).

They determined that Judge Greer had followed Florida law as he interpreted the facts.

Why did Judge Greer never gosee Terri for himself?

Answer: He did not think it was necessary or prudent.

Where did the videos that were shown repeatedly on TV come from?

Answer: They were clips that had been shown in a court hearing in 2002, making them a public record.

Was Terri ever in a coma?

Answer: Yes, after her initial trauma in 1990, Terri was comatose for a few months.

Was Terri ever on a ventilator?

Answer: Yes, after her initial trauma in 1990, Terri was on a ventilator for approximately three months before she began breathing on her own.

When Terri was removed from the ventilator and came out of the coma,
what was her diagnosis?

Answer: Terri was diagnosed as being in a ‘‘persistent vegetative state.''

What is the difference between a coma and a persistent vegetative state?

Answer: A coma is a profound or deep state of unconsciousness. The affected individual is alive but is not able to react or respond to life around him/her. Coma may occur as an expected progression or com- plication of an underlying illness, or as a result of an event such as head trauma.

A persistent vegetative state, which sometimes follows a coma, refers to a condition in which individuals have lost cognitive neurological function and awareness of the environment but retain noncognitive function and a preserved sleep-wake cycle.

It is sometimes described as when a person is technically alive, but his/her brain is dead. That description, however, is not completely accurate. In a persistent vegetative state the individual loses the higher cerebral powers of the brain, but the functions of the brain stem, such as respiration (breathing) and circulation, remain relatively intact. Spontaneous movements may occur and the eyes may open in response to external stimuli, but the patient does not speak or obey commands.
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Can a person ever recover from a coma or PVS?

Answer: The outcome for coma and vegetative state depends on the cause and on the location, severity, and extent of neurological damage: Outcomes range from recovery to death. People may emerge from a coma with a combination of physical, intellectual, and psychological difficulties that need special attention.

Recovery usually occurs gradually, with patients acquiring more and more ability to respond. Some patients never progress beyond very basic responses, but many recover full awareness.
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Was Terri in PVS?

Answer: This is in dispute. Michael Schiavo believes she was. Terri's family believed she was in a minimally conscious state.

What is a minimally conscious state?

Answer: This state of consciousness was first defined in 1996. In this condition, patients show occasional moments of awareness, such as attempting to communicate through speaking, writing, or using yes/no signals (other than eye blinks). A recent study in the journal
Neuroscience
revealed that people in this state may be quite aware, although trapped in a body that is largely nonfunctioning.
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The researchers from New York Presbyterian Hospital used brain imaging technology to show that, when played audiotapes of their loved ones' voices, people in this state have brain activity similar to that of a fully conscious person. When no recording was played to the patients, however, their brain activity was less than half that of healthy people.

How would a doctor decide whether Terri was in PVS or MCS?

Answer: At least one criterion should be present and occur on a reproducible or sustained basis to diagnose MCS:

1. follows simple commands

2. gestural or verbal yes/no responses (regardless of accuracy)

3. intelligible verbalization

4. movements or affective behaviors that occur in contingent relation to relevant environmental stimulus and are not attributable to reflexive activity
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Any of the above behavioral examples provide sufficient evidence, although this list is not meant to be exhaustive.

Did anyone beside the Schindlers see Terri respond at an MCS level?

Answer: Yes, there were a number of nonfamily members who watched Terri interact meaningfully with her environment. These people included doctors, nurses, attorneys, and clergy.

Did the autopsy performed on Terri answer the question whether she was
in PVS or MCS?

Answer: No, it did not. This type of diagnosis can only be made on living patients who can be observed. The autopsy stated, ‘‘PVS is a clinical diagnosis arrived at through physical examination of living patients.''

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Permission to photocopy granted

APPENDIX B

SAMPLE FORM :
DESIGNATION OF HEALTH CARE SURROGATE

The laws governing health care surrogates may vary from state to state. This form provides a general starting point that you and/or your lawyer may tailor to fit your state's requirements. It's also a good idea to carry in your purse or wallet the name and phone number of the surrogate who is to be contacted in the event of an emergency.
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Designation of Health Care Surrogate of:

In the event that I have been determined by health care providers to be incapacitated to provide informed consent for medical treatment and surgical and diagnostic procedures, I designate as my surrogate for health care decisions:

Name, Address, and Telephone Number of Surrogate:

In the event that my Health Care Surrogate proposes a course of action or medical treatment or procedure, or the removal of the same, which is intended to result in my death (such as, for illustrative purpose, the removal of nutrition and hydration), the following named individuals must give unanimous consent to said proposed decision.