I've been thinking a lot lately about how to act on my strong pro-life beliefs. We have been invited (as a church) to participate in a silent prayer gathering outside a Planned Parenthood office in Reading in June. The people participating will silently gather outside wearing this red "LIFE" tape over their mouths, and pray for entire 2 hour time.I've really been weighing and praying about what to do. The reason why I question what to do is that I have had a close friend who has been through an abortion, and it was a terribly painful thing for her. She did not know Jesus at the time, but has since become a Christian. I know it's been something she has struggled to deal with and been very hurt by how insensitive people (and especially Christians) can be about the whole issue. It's caused her much turmoil dealing with the realities of abortion, the guilt she battles and the emotional scars she is left with. It's given me an upclose-and-personal perspective of what, for many people, often becomes a nebulous political issue.
For me, this issue has a face and tears. I don't want to be insensitive, yet I know that the extreme injustice it is for this procedure to be legal. My heart is to be pro-active in trying to save the lives of the unborn, but at the same time, I desperately want to be just as concerned for the often hopeless young women trapped in situations that they see no other way out of.
It would not be a hard decision to demonstrate this way outside of the Supreme Court, as happens every day in Washington DC, but that is sending a message to lawmakers. I feel this is an absolutely appropriate way and place to let people know that we are fighting in prayer that God will change the hearts of the people making laws in this country. I know that prayer is the only way to change it, because this is obviously not a matter of intellect, it's a matter that goes much deeper - to the heart and the soul.
This event is at a location where young women, possibly living the absolute worst day in their life will be walking by. I want to be sure that what I, as a Christian, am offering is some sort of hope and not a message that would be perceived as condemnation. Believe me - I'm not saying across the board that this is wrong; it's just hard for me to think of my dear friend on that day...and what would have been helpful to her in that moment. I honestly do not know. But I'm praying, and asking God what he wants me - personally - to do on that particular day. And I'm listening...
(If any reader has any experience or perspectives that they'd like to share, please feel free to comment anonymously...I'd appreciate and value perspectives that might be different than my own...)
6 comments:
Jessi,
You're absolutely right...this is a MOST difficult issue! Your sensitivity is to be commended. I have to wonder if ANY women's minds are ever changed by a group of people outside an abortion clinic who are "protesting". Yes, those unborn treasures need to be given a voice, but I believe it needs to be done on a level other than your scenario.
Education is a fundamental piece of ground work. I remember, years ago, when I worked in L&D at Phoenixville Hospital we had a young lady come admitted in very pre-term labor (probably about 20 weeks) and deliver. At that point in history, there was no way a baby that premature had a hope of surviving. At any rate, I was mentoring a newly graduated nurse, and as I took that tiny infant who weighed less than 13 oz and prepared it for the morgue, this nurse said "WOW!!! It looks just like a real baby!!!!" I asked her if she expected it to look like a carrot???!!!! Her response was that she thought it would just be "a blob of tissue". That event took place 20+ years ago, but I have never forgotten it. I was shocked that a nurse was unaware that an embryo very rapidly takes on the shape of a human being!
So....all that being said, in my thinking, the protest needs to be done at a legislative level. Should the laws change & abortion again become illegal, does that mean that there will never be "back street abortions" done? Of course not! Because we live in a sinful world, sin continues. But if physicians were to be held accountable for taking a life, I believe the abortion rate would drop considerably.
I, too, know someone who has had an abortion & although she never discusses it, I KNOW she feels the pain every minute of every day.
That's my take on it. I pray the Lord will give you peace, whatever your decision is.
hey jessi...i'm that dear friend...and i remember thinking that day "i hope that there are not any protestors outside bc they might change my mind". so if i were u i would go do it...there's nothing wrong with that. i'm sure i wasn't the only one still debating in my head if this was the only way out...especially since i saw girls crying before they had the abortion. i remember thinking i can't ask to see the heartbeat, i can't see pics of aborted babies bc i might change my mind. so whatever god has planned for u that day remember there's always hope to change a girl's (woman's) mind.
wow, thanks, :)
that answers my questions... makes me think of the movie juno when the girl protesting (but not angrily) says that the baby has fingernails and it changes juno's mind.
I think prayer is the best way to engage your decision making process. I heard Sam Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Leadership Conference say the reason no progress has been made is that the pro-life movement has been married to a political party. The pro-life movement must be about "all life" not just unborn babies but from the womb to the tomb which encompasses alleviation of poverty, education, creation care, health care and a fair penal system. He says we must bring justice and righteousness to the life movement. Basically, the abortion issue is the spirit of Herod. We must move from a culture of death to a culture of "all" life. There MUST be a transformation of missiology.
I agree that we should help all suffering people, not just the unborn ones. However, i can't equate abortion with poverty... at least not in America. From my work at Cluster I've seen so many people who have literally chosen to live a lifestyle of poverty- people who don't want to work, won't stay at a job, etc. Not all poor people in America are like this, I totally understand. And there are those in other countries who are impoverished by gross injustice, persecution, or slavery. Some are forced to sell their children into the sex trade. THAT is injustice I could put on par with abortion.
I also agree we need to take a closer look at our justice system, and we need to take care of our creation.
According to our forefathers, the God given rights were "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". I consider LIFE to be the most basic. It is our duty as christians to bring liberty and justice wherever we can... but I also must recognize people's personal responsibility. This is a biblical principle as well.
I haven't actually been to a silent siege yet, but I think it's brilliant... we're not protesting, but praying... we're giving a voice to those who have no voice. There's no nasty signs, no yelling, no warring in the natural realm... just the spiritual realm. I personally don't believe this is a battle to be fought only in the physical realm... while I do believe in invading the political system to have an impact.
This issue is number one on God's heart right now in our nation... He is saying, just like He said to Cain in the Old Testament, "where is your brother?"
I think the pro-lifers have been given a bad rap because of some of the nasty signs and protesting they have done... but as Chad says "at least they are doing something." So I think the combination of being on site and praying is extremely effective.... not to mention what it does to your own heart when you see women go in to murder their baby, then come back out completely broken.
I could keep going! But I won't :)
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