The choice for life has been central in the whole history of God’s dealing with the human race. In Deuteronomy 30:19, Moses says, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live.” The pro-life movement is often characterized by the slogan, “choose life,” but I think we need to understand that the choice for life at its center has to contain a choice for God, for righteousness, for obedience to the commandments of God, and ultimately, for Jesus and the Church.

Justice On Earth

Important questions are raised in the Old Testament regarding justice being done on this earth. While it’s generally the case that blessing comes to people who choose God, it doesn’t always happen. Sometimes bad things happen to good people, and sometimes good things happen to bad people. That is the question that Job asked, and the Lord answered. Job says, “Lord, I’m living a good life. What is going on? My children have died, my flocks have been taken away from me, my wife has died, and now boils have broken out all over my body. My goodness, Lord, help.” Then the Lord responded to Job, but He didn’t give an intellectual answer. Instead, the Lord said, “Job, where were you when the earth was created? Where were you when the stars were placed in the universe?” Basically, God is saying, “I am God. You are not. You can’t understand it, but you’ve got to trust. You’ve got to keep on believing, even in the midst of suffering.” Job repented for forgetting that he was the creature and God was the Creator, and

that he needed to trust God. Then, everything was restored to Job in a mysterious way—fields, flocks, and family—and the last days of Job were more prosperous than the first.

Sin and Human Suffering

This question of suffering develops further in the New Testament where the choice of life now means the choice of eternal life, a choice that overcomes the finality of death. The finality of death is rooted in sin and rebellion against God. Wisdom 2:23-24 says, “For God created man for incorruption, and made him in the image of his own eternity, but through the devil’s envy death entered the world, and those who belong to his party experience it.” This is a very profound revelation. It wasn’t God’s intention that human beings die. He created us in his own image and wanted to make us imperishable, but through the envy of the devil, death entered the world. Those who believe the devil’s lies and give in to the temptations that he assaults us with will experience eternal death.

When Jesus heals the paralytic in Matthew 9, the paralytic’s friends can’t get near Jesus, so they lower him through the roof. Jesus is impressed with their faith, and he tells the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven”. This disturbs the Pharisees who say only God can forgive sin. It’s true that only God can forgive sin, but the Pharisees misinterpreted Jesus’ statement as blasphemy instead of receiving the revelation of his identity through it. Jesus says to the Pharisees, “…[W]hich is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” He then turns to the paralytic and says, “Rise, take up your bed and go home.” (Mt 9:1-8)

Jesus’ response was so indicative of the link between sin and human suffering. The root problem is sin. Physical healing, the way that we help people on this earth through works of charity, and the way we care for the poor must come from an understanding that the root problem for every person in this world is sin. The best thing we can do for anybody is to help them to repent of their sin and be reconciled with the Lord through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and to be part of his body in the Catholic Church. This also applies to everybody that we engage in the political realm, in the state legislatures, the women that we help in pregnancy counseling centers, and the people we serve who are in need and in pain. The thing that they really need is reconciliation with God.

Hope In Christ

Our hope for this reconciliation that leads to eternal life is found in John chapter 11. When Jesus heard about Lazarus being sick and then dying, He went to Lazarus’ house.

Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. . . . Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. And even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. . . .’ (Jn 11:17, 21-26)

Jesus is talking about two kinds of death. He’s talking about biological death, which is the punishment for our sin. The guilt of our sin is forgiven in the waters of baptism through faith, but the penalty is still there. The temporal punishment due to sin is still there. It has not been removed from the human race, even when people repent. The reason why human beings die is because of the rebellion against God. However, for somebody who believes in Jesus, for somebody who is connected to Jesus, for somebody who eats his Body and drinks his Blood, for somebody who remains faithful in the midst of temptation and chooses Jesus time and time again, biological death is not the end. It is the doorway to paradise. When Jesus says those who believe will never die and will have life, He is talking about eternal life. That’s the gift that the Father has sent Jesus to give. In the last analysis, that’s the only gift that makes a fundamental difference. Sin and death are the condition of the human race. The only remedy for sin is the sacrificial love of Jesus on the cross, dying and rising for us, and the only way that great deed can become real to us is through faith and baptism, continually renewed in the Holy Eucharist. That’s the greatest gift we can give to anybody.

In its last analysis and its final goal, the pro-life movement must eventually become the eternal life movement. It is deeply admirable what those in the pro-life movement do, and Anne and I consider ourselves part of this. Our profound works of charity, standing up for the unborn in all the ways that we do must broaden out to be alert to evangelization opportunities. Life on this earth is a great good that is to be deeply cherished and defended, but eternal life is even greater. The choice of life must eventually lead to the choice of Jesus in order for all the good we do for people on earth not to be lost in death and hell but to be saved, raised up, and transfigured in the Father’s house.

This article has been condensed from a talk given at the Nebraskan’s Embracing Life Annual Banquet in January 2026.