Reimagining Pro-Life: 30 Days With Save the StorksExemplo

HEART //

All throughout Scripture, Jesus was drawn to human beings in need. Not only did he see the needs of those around Him, but He was also willing to act on their behalf. We take our cue from Christ: compassionate people do not only see the need. . . . Compassionate people touch the need. 

During the time that Jesus walked the earth, it would have been considered ‘defilement,’ like pollution or contamination, to touch a person with leprosy. Christ embraced the risk that touching the man posed to His reputation, though. He cared more for the man than He did about cultural norms or what people would say about Him. He lovingly engaged in the suffering that the man faced at great risk to Himself, healing the man as a result. 

We, too, must embrace taking risks if we want to follow Jesus. It comes naturally for us to close our eyes to the needs of the people around us. We can be overly concerned with ourselves — with what people think of us, with how they perceive us, or with our hope to serve others “not working” or being too costly. Jesus asks us to love one another as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:39), and He says that the world will know that we are His disciples by the way that we love one another (John 13:35). Ask yourself: What does the world see when it looks at your life? It should be struck by your willingness to love others well, regardless of the risk!

We have the opportunity to reach out and touch one of the most difficult, socially-complicated needs of our time with hope and healing. When we encourage an abortion-minded woman to make a life-affirming choice, we must realize that we are asking her to take a ‘risk.’ Abortion can be tempting. It just seems less risky: less money, less effort, and less hardship. We, as the church, have the opportunity to make parenthood slightly ‘less risky’ for these women. Of course, pregnancy and parenting are costly and that cost should never be underplayed, but it can definitely be (and is meant to be!) supported. In love, we can help mothers to see the actual risk of abortion — that they may go in hoping they’re doing the right thing, but the enemy of their soul will likely change the tune to one of accusation, guilt and shame on their way out. What a trap. 

Touching the need starts with simply building trust — being willing to love without judgment, to step into uncomfortable spaces and to risk our own resources (time, emotions, money, and more) right along with those we’re serving. Not one of us can solve this issue, but together we can do our best to reach out of our comfort zones to ensure that these women really do have the opportunity before them to make a life-affirming choice: the funds, the resources, and the community necessary to help them value and uphold the life within them. It’s a life that God so values and so wants to uphold.

As Christ equips the church, His body, to be His own hands, this question is monumentally important: Are we willing?

Watch this video of Ashley Bratcher, who plays Abby Johnson in the movie Unplanned, share about her “yes to God”. 

 

// WORK

Let’s keep our eyes open for opportunities to say our own “yes to God”! A Barna study shows that 70% of women choosing abortion identify as Christians. We may feel like the abortion issue is “out there, in the world”, but the reality is that there are abortion-vulnerable women in our churches, our families, our family of God who are feeling a real sense of panic, anxiety, loneliness, and fear at the thought of keeping their babies. 

How can you use your words (both in-person and on social media) to extend Christlike compassion to them? As you empty your words of unproductive anger, judgment, hopelessness, and complaining this week (and hopefully always!), try to fill your words up with Christlike compassion and love instead. 

Remember: Christ didn’t say, “Because I have to,” when he reached out His hand to heal the man. He said, “I am willing.” The world will know that we love Him when we are willing to be healing conduits for others — just as Jesus was — regardless of the consequences. Pray about and act on just one ‘risk’* you can take today to touch a need in the world around you. It can be small or large, but make it something that shows you value someone else’s needs over your own comfort. Write about your experience in your journal, along with answering these questions: Have you ever been in a situation where you felt like someone cared about you more than he or she cared about reputation? How did that feel?

*Healthy risks include risking your own popularity, comfort or certainty for the sake of another. If you are young, please run your ‘risky’ business by a trusted adult before doing anything that could be damaging to your life, well-being, or to others.