I still remember the day when Christina asked me, “Why is it that churches rarely preach on the topic of abortion?” For some reason, I really didn’t have an answer; well I did, but it was an inadequate answer for her intensely poignant question.
The thing that kept on popping up in my mind was the divisiveness of the issue.
Not every Christ-follower is against abortion (I will not have time to address the oxymoronic nature of this stance). Not every Christ-follower is gracious to those who have had an abortion. Not every Christ-follower knows how to defend theologically and pragmatically their stance on pro-life. Not every Christ-follower knows which stance to hold in terms of biblical truth.
Hence, it leads to the divisiveness of the issue.
But the more Christina and I dialogued, the more I came to the conclusion that if the Church of Jesus never addresses this issue, then who will?
As I write this blog post, I am very aware that in the Church today there are many women who have had an abortion or who are thinking about having one at this very moment. To you, I would say that God’s love, grace and mercy are sufficient for us. Not only is God’s forgiveness immense, but He is able to take our mistakes and failures and redeem them for something good. It is His promise and God has delivered on His promises every time.
To the men, I would say the same thing to you because you have participated in the act of conceiving the baby. Whether you have coerced the woman in getting an abortion or if you just stood silently and abrogated your responsibility, you are in need of God’s love, grace, mercy and forgiveness, just as much as the woman.
It is imperative that we do not categorize sin. Sin is sin before God; therefore abortion is not necessarily more sinful than other sins. But, the consequences of a particular sin do have different repercussions on a person. In the midst of this, we must remember that our God is greater, bigger, and stronger. This is where faith and hope come in to the picture – faith to believe in God’s Word, which is truth that sets us free, and hope to trust that God will use all things for His glory and our good.
I recently came across a video of Gianna Jessen, which inspired me to write this post. It reminded me of the importance of every Christ-follower to stand up for life and speak for the ones that cannot speak for themselves. I found it amazing how a “weak” woman in the eyes of the world was able to speak so many high-powered people with God’s truth and love. Her life story of being an abortion survivor is something that no one can argue against. This is why it is a powerful testimony that is being used by God to touch many lives.
Here, Gianna Jessen speaks at Queen’s Hall, Parliament House in Australia on the night where parliament was to debate on the issue of decriminalizing abortion. This is truly inspiring! Watch both Part 1 and Part 2:
Gianna’s Speech – PART 1 of 2
Gianna’s Speech – PART 2 of 2