“Do not throw them away, bring them here.” These are the words that heroic South Korean Pastor Lee Jong-rak shared in the recently released film The Drop Box. Noticing the tragedy of infant abandonment in South Korea, Pastor Lee Jong-rak decided that he had to do something to save the babies that were being left to die in his country. From this desire, the baby box was born. A simple concept, the baby box allows parents who have no other options for caring for their children to leave their babies in a slot that leads to Pastor Lee Jong-rak’s house.
Pastor Jong-rak’s story shows how much love people are capable of if they open their hearts. When his son was born over 20 years ago with a severe disability, he first began to realize the beauty in taking care of those who cannot take care of themselves. After coming to appreciate the joy he felt in raising his son even though he was severely disabled, Pastor Jong-rak opened his home and adopted nearly 20 children. Some of his adopted children are disabled and some are not, but all of them are loved and valued. A Christian man, pastor Lee Jong-rak attributes his understanding of adoption to his belief that he is an adopted son of God. Today, Pastor Lee Jong-rak finds a baby in his drop box nearly every night.
The story of selfless love and appreciation for the value of human life that Pastor Jong-rak teaches by his actions is invaluable. In the U.S. alone, over 1 million babies are aborted annually. The love that Pastor Jong-rak shows the abandoned children who are left in his drop-box is a testimony to the incredible dignity of human life; as Pastor Jong-rak reminds us, every child is a gift.
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