It is probably one of the most well-known and memorable stories in the Bible, perhaps of any world religion. The Lord says to Abraham: "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." (Genesis 22:2 RSVCE)
At this point all the militant atheists, cynics and skeptics cry out in unrighteous indignation: "Ooh... Argh! How can a god demand such an evil thing? Even if it was just to test his faith, this is ultimate proof that Yahweh is a tyrannical demiurge! And shame on Abraham for being willing to do such an awful evil thing!" (hopefully, the sheer irony of these statements is not lost on you). Usually, when people come out with emotional garbage like this, it's not worth wasting your sleep over. But as followers of Christ and proclaimers of His Gospel, we do have a filial, spiritual and moral obligation to stand up for the truth and denounce such shameful lies whenever these are thrown at us.
Yes, this command was a test of Abraham's faith; a test which he passed and after which Isaac was spared and would continue to live a long and prosperous life. That is the literal sense to this important Scripture passage (and the moral of the story we all remember from Sunday School). But there is so much more hidden in this sacred history of our forefathers, which would definitely merit further attention for its own sake. For today's purposes, I just want to recall one other significant fact from this story pertaining to its historical context; one which most people tend to overlook.
In the Sacred Scriptures, we are told that Abraham was from Ur, which, during his lifetime (ca. 2000 BC) was a city state in Ancient Mesopotamia (Sumer to be more precise). Again, the history and geography of Abraham's time is something worth looking at more deeply, but to cut to the chase for now, when Abraham was asked by God to sacrifice his own son to Him, this demand was not unheard of. In fact, it was a common, if not not a daily occurrence that had enshrined itself into Abraham's time, culture and homeland...
"They sacrificed to demons which were no gods..." Deuteronomy 32:17
"For the gods of the gentiles are devils" - Psalm 95:5 (96:5)
We now fast-forward some 4000 years and continue our analysis of the music videos of The Family International, the "cult with the catchy songs". As we noticed so far, But unlike these earlier entries, today's analysis will not involve very little (if, in fact, any) criticism and give credit where credit is due. For the song in question remains both relevant to our times and represents its position on the issue at hand in a tolerable and, dare I say it, commendable manner. So, here follows my analysis and commentary to Mother, Let me Live!
Song Analysis
We begin in the front lawn of a house in the suburbs and overhear the tail-end of an argument between a man and a woman. The woman (who we'll call Mary for simplicity's sake) calls after the man ("Joe" or "Jack"? I'll go with Joe), but he storms out of the house with a suitcase, slams the door behind him, runs to his car and drives off.
A distraught Mary looks out after him through the window. Here the music begins - a soft melody that departs quite noticeably from the monkey business of the previous song. After stepping away from the window, Mary touches her belly in a telling way before letting herself fall into the armchair behind her. Noticing a brochure on the table next to her, she picks it up for a closer look.
'Unwanted Pregnancy?' it reads, 'Contact the Family Planning Center'. Tellingly, the only services suggested on the front page are abortions, which are described as "completely confidential, performed by "qualified, expert medical staff", using "modern, safe techniques" and promising "post-abortion care". Judging by the look on Mary's face, it is an option that she is now considering and so, gets up and puts on her coat. Queue the first verse:
I'm an angel in disguise / with dimpled cheeks and laughing eyes,
Don't you want me? I'm your baby...
As can be discerned from the lyrics, we hear Mary's baby (who we'll call Florence after the lead singer) pleading with her mother not to do what she's about to do. As the first verse plays, we get a close up of Mary's face onto which the image of a dancing little girl is then superimposed. But Mary shakes her head and heads out the door to get the next bus into town.
I have come from Heaven's halls
In your heart / Oh, hear my call.
Mother, keep me!
I'm your baby...
Now sitting on the bus, Mary's deep line of thought is interrupted by a little boy on a seat in front of her. Leaning across the back of his seat, the boy smiles and waves at her as the chorus line plays.
Oh, mother, let me live / Don't take away my life!
Mother, let me live / you know it isn't right to stop me being born
I want to be yours...
But again, Mary shakes her head and looks away. Only this time, she has a premonition of entering the surgery room, where a man and a woman in blue surgical gear, welcome her and direct her to the bed on which the "procedure" is to take place.
Oh mother, let me live / don't take away my life!
Mother, let me live / I want to live my life!
Mother you will see when you look at me
And you hold me in your arms you'll fall in love with me...
Overcome by a sudden sense of dread, the camera zooms in on Mary's face again and she reverts to thinking about the dancing little girl from before.
Nevertheless, Mary gets off the bus and continues her journey to the clinic on foot. On her way, she passes a playground where she stops and observes the small children playing together in the sandpit and on the swings.
Like a flower in your care / I'm a gift so pure and fair
Don't you want me? I'm your baby...
The wholesome scene forces her to think about the little girl again. Only this time, she doesn't dismiss the thought and smiles. But then, the image of the two figures in surgical gear returns and she imagines them showing her one of the tools that they intend to use.
My little life please don't abort
Let me live, don't cut me short
Mother, keep me! I'm your baby...
Despite now clearly having second thoughts, Mary arrives at the clinic (as the chorus is line is repeated) and finds herself in a hallway with two signs: "Surgery" and "Maternity". After a brief moment of hesitation, Mary chooses life and heads into the maternity ward. As the chorus line is repeated, we see the doctor examining the young mother. The doctor hands Mary the stethoscope who then, in a very wholesome and beautiful moment, hears her baby's heartbeat for the first time.
The scene instantly cuts ahead by several months, and the doctor hands Mary her newborn baby. With little Florence in her arms, Mary kisses her child with a beaming smile. And then, to give us the ultimate happy ending, Joe enters the room with a bouquet and looks at his little daughter with loving eyes. After mouthing the words "I love you", Mary smiles with joy and the happy family is reunited in a warm embrace.
Closing off with another time lapse, we see Florence (now a toddler) picking flowers in a field. Her father lifts her up into his arms while her mother (who let her live) looks on with glee. All's well that ends well.
Final Thoughts
As I have said before, I in no way, shape or form condone "The Family International" and the evil it has done and continues to do. The fact that they are a notorious cult who have endangered and even destroyed the lives of many of its members cannot be stressed enough. However, I am a strong proponent of reviewing and appreciating art and creative works apart from the artist and that every painting, sculpture, film, song or whatever can and should be allowed to stand on its own merit and be considered and reviewed with an objective lens. Otherwise, if we go around and reject or destroy everything made by "unclean hands", we might as well throw away all our possessions and become hunter-gatherers living out in a cave somewhere (and I can assure you there's no guarantee that your cave of choice hasn't already been defiled in some way either...)
But I digress. Mother Let Me Live gets it right on all counts. And if anything, it is a shame and a scandal that cults such as The Family International have a stronger stance on the crime of infanticide by abortion than many who consider themselves "Christians" today! The Catholic Church used to be a bastion of defense when it came to the unborn. What happened?
"Cafeteria Catholics" who pick and choose to believe and do whatever they happen to feel like are only fooling themselves when they think their misguided position (or rather lack thereof) is going to have no consequences for their immortal souls. Life begins at conception and the deliberate termination of another person's life without just cause is murder and a mortal sin against life and against God Himself, who is the author of life.
Going back to what I mentioned in the introduction, child sacrifice is sadly nothing new and its current form (disguised as a "medical procedure") is a continuation of ancient blood rituals and sacrifices which have stained the earth and continue to cry out to heaven for vengeance. The Lord's intervention and prevention of Abraham slaying his son is a testimony to God's abhorrence of human sacrifice. And those involved in this practice or the promotion thereof - especially those who dare to call themselves Christians - would do well to remember that.
But let us conclude on a word of hope. In Mother Let Me Live, the mother and father both have a change of heart and their child lives. Sadly, this is often the exception in such cases, but even so, there is always a chance for redemption. Jesus, Our Lord and Saviour, came to save the lost and the despairing (which today's world certainly has no shortage of) and He forgave and continues to forgive those who come to Him with a sincere and contrite heart. No sin is so great that it cannot be forgiven. No sinner unworthy of His love. Christ stands knocking at the door to your heart (cf. Rev 3:20). Will you open the door and let Him in?
