Life Revisited

For many years I’ve participated in the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., and have found the experience to be exhilarating for my soul. This year I may be unable to attend because of family illness, but January always brings the issue of the sanctity of human life to the forefront of my thinking.

I must admit that I often doubted that Roe v. Wade would ever be overturned in my lifetime, though I knew that the landmark SCOTUS ruling was plagued by multiple reasons to collapse under its own weight. It was a terrible decision on multiple levels, but Roe enshrined a so-called constitutional right to abortion that I knew would be a difficult course correction for many Americans. Sure enough, I think that the last midterm elections signaled that substantial numbers of voters are concerned about abortion rights.

So how should we as the church proceed from here? How do we love our politically diverse neighbors while working diligently to create and preserve an ethic of life? How do we approach the issue of abortion in a post-Roe climate, and do so in a manner that is as effective and winsome as possible? Here are a few of my thoughts.

1. We can’t assume that legal or legislative wins change hearts. I’m in no way saying that we ought not strive for both, but I believe that the intensely more difficult part of the pro-life battle may be ahead of us instead of behind us. In fact, we’re already witnessing an amping up of pro-abortion momentum and energy, tragically. (See Tuesday’s “breaking news” on abortion pills in The New York Times.)

2. We can assume that people don’t really understand the issues. Most don’t. One thing the midterm exit polls clearly demonstrated is that voters had little understanding of Roe. Most had bought into sensationalized and misleading media soundbites, which is sadly no new national phenomenon.

3. We must broaden our understanding of the pro-life culture which we’re seeking to create. In our desire to see people truly embrace the value of human life, within a gospel-positive context, we must learn to love as our Savior loves. He loves the whole person. He loves the wayward rebel. He loves people who don’t love Him back. We ought to open our arms to embrace single moms and fatherless kids and older adults struggling with loneliness. We ought to be first in line to serve those who are suffering through divorce and substance abuse. As a local expression of the body of Christ, we ought to be a safe place for those enduring every shade of grief. We are extended a little more credibility to speak into the abortion issue when people see that we are ministers of grace among those who are hurting.

4. We must not lose heart (Galatians 6:9). Whenever we live as channels of positive change on this fallen planet, we can expect serious opposition. But the greatest threat to our real-life ministry as agents of salt and light is not hostile politics, or moral relativism, or the lack of widespread public approval. The greatest danger we face is losing our resolve to press on in the face of all of those realities. Today I simply want to urge you, beloved friends, to press on.

Life matters. Love matters. When I think about the woman at the well, I imagine her exclaiming to her friends: “He wasn’t really coming after water. He was coming after me!” As always, you and I need the wisdom and passion of Jesus.

Pastor Charles