One has only to be the parent of a child like Johnny to grasp the truth of Bonhoeffer’s words. The Johnnys of the world teach us to endure with perseverance, build character and allow for a love that wells up from a place too deep for words to describe.

Sarah Palin gets it. That’s why she and husband Todd chose not to abort baby Trig in spite of his alleged imperfections. To some, he is a “useless eater.” He will never win the snow machine race his father is famous for or be mayor or governor of anything, but Sarah and Todd know the value of his life in ways that can never be explained to a man like Barack Obama. A baby like Trig is a precious life. And the baby carried by his sister is not punishment.

In his book, “The Power of the Powerless,” Christopher De Vinck tells the story of his severely disabled brother, Oliver. As Christopher grew older and began dating, he brought his girlfriend to the family farmhouse and eventually asked if she would like to meet Oliver. Since Oliver lived on the top floor and had to be fed and diapered by family members, the first girl said a polite “no.” The next girl, however, said, “Yes!”…climbed the stairs, crawled up on the bed with Oliver and proceeded to patiently spoon feed him.

“Which girl would you have married?” asked De Vinck. The power of the powerless; the ability of the helpless or infirm to reveal not their infirmity, but the character of those around them.

We have two candidates, one for president and the other for vice president, with very different views on the value of life. What does their attitude toward the Johnnys of this world—or the tiny lives who have come inconveniently—tell us about them? And by the way, which girl would you have chosen?