What if ... We Actually Acted on our Outrage Over Abortion?
Several days ago I penned a long post about the 4 reasons Christians are losing the debate on abortion. I never published it. I let it sit, had someone read it, revisited it, then my daughter posted this on social media. I’ll not put the whole post in here, but follow the link to see it all. Her post changed much of what I had to say.
She wanted to address the flood of media posts across her platforms from people saying they would “take these babies in a heartbeat” in the wake of the New York and Virginia decisions. The fact is, they won't. At least the vast majority will not. She said,
“Why are you not actually taking these babies in a heartbeat? There are genuine Christians in this world who won’t go out and adopt, but want to make those who choose to abort feel bad. … I do not understand how someone can preach pro-life and make the kids suffer in the adoption and foster system and not be willing to help.”
Actually, her words triggered me in a very profound and positive way. First because I’m proud of my little girl, now a grown woman about to be married, for speaking this truth. Second, because she is absolutely right.
It absolutely blows my mind that it takes late-term abortion or post-birth abortion decisions to trigger us as a church to the point of action. Where were our outcries when it was only first trimester? Where were our outcries when the Southern Baptist Convention ratified a resolution last Fall saying abortion was acceptable if the mother’s life was in danger? We are late to the rhetoric game. Or at least our outrage is.
We should have been bringing this passion all along. Now we look silly and find ourselves fighting from a defensive position. And fight we must, but don’t be surprised if the world isn’t swayed by our newly found voice of disbelief.
On top of that, the statistical realities of the unwanted children already in the foster adoption system is staggering. Again, don’t be offended if our declarations of “I’ll take those babies right now!” fall on deaf ears, because we won’t take the ones available to us now.
People generally like the idea of a thing much more than the thing itself. Being outraged and bringing someone else’s child into your home are, however, very different things.
I’m not trying to shame anyone into adopting or fostering, but I would like to call the church to repentance. Repentance for being vocal, but not active. Repentance for hating on abortive mothers instead of offering alternatives. Repentance for not BEING an alternative.
While I believe abortion of all kinds is murder, I do draw a distinction in how I think we should deal with the mothers involved. For the the mothers who abort out of pure selfish convenience, there aren’t words strong enough. For doctors and facilities who perform the procedures, the same. But for the despondent mother who thinks she has no other option, my heart breaks for her. It breaks because we have failed her. Somewhere, somehow, we let her down because she didn’t know she could bring us her baby. I’m also not sure how to fix that particular problem.
If we want to eliminate abortion in our lifetime, and I certainly hope we do, we must be ready to take up the weight of the consequence; unwanted children. We already have them. By the thousands. In Texas alone. Go, do it. Adopt. Foster. Donate. Support. DO SOMETHING!.
“What can I do?”, you ask. Check out this article on how Everyone can help with foster care.
First of all, you can be compassionate. Seriously.
When love and compassion for the unborn, unwanted, abused, and neglected begins to permeate your heart, you will find a way to get involved. Not because you are a better person than someone else, but because it is the very heart of God, and you want that heart. Plain and simple.
May God help us not to be guilty, as a nation, as a church, of the sins of Sodom and neglect the poor and needy. (Ezekiel 16:49)
This isn’t a crisis that is coming. It’s a crisis that’s here now. What will you do?
What if … what if we all did something?
