Today, I have a heavy heart and I just need to share and get it off my chest.
The Supreme Court ruling to overturn Roe V. Wade is being celebrated by the Pro-Lifers, Church, and people of Faith. Groups all over the Country are gathering in public places to celebrate this ruling. No doubt, Churches will be rejoicing at the good news that the life of a fetus is being given an opportunity to survive.
While I am happy that we have laws to protect life, I’m not sure I can really rejoice in the Supreme Court decision. I don’t see a great victory for the Church in this ruling. In fact, I see it as more of a defeat. If the courts legislate moral decision, will the courts also stand before God at judgement day to advocate our individual choices? Absolutely, I believe in the protection of life of the unborn. That’s not why my heart is so burdened.
I am also certainly NOT standing on the side of anyone’s right to take a life, whether it is a fetus, adult, or elderly person. But, I believe we have so politicized the issue and placed so much energy into protecting the voiceless, we have missed so many opportunities to witness and share the Gospel with those who perhaps need someone to give them love. I fear we often have chosen to stand in our hubris self-righteousness and proclaim the goodness of God to advocate for the unborn, while we ignore the hurts of the wounded adult facing a scary life decision.
Has the Church really won with the Supreme Court decision? Have we been doing all we can to show love, grace and mercy as our Messiah showed us? Are we welcoming to others into our congregations without judgement and per-conceived opinions based on how someone looks or dresses? If I am not showing true love and concern for others that might show them a desire and reason to get to know my Messiah, how can I gloat in a victory that I’ve somehow saved a life of a child? Perhaps if I had been more loving and caring, the mother of that child would have seen hope in giving birth.
Believers need to carefully examine their hearts. Taking a victory lap now is disgusting – when we as a body have miserably failed with sharing the good news of salvation with those who need our Messiah. We want people to come “pre-cleaned” into our sanctuaries and congregations. We are uncomfortable with the flaws that we see in others, while we often ignore our own filth and refuse to believe we are flawed ourselves.
A day of reckoning is coming and we need to be prepared. There are billions of unborn people who are walking by us every day that we can actually save from eternal death – and it won’t come through legislation or Supreme Court rulings. It comes with a personal decision each of us has to surrender. There will be no Republican, or Democrat, or Supreme Court justice standing for me when our Messiah returns. It will be me standing and answering for my own actions and decisions.
Beyond the personal heart-challenge I’m wrestling with, I believe this new court decision has altered our opportunities as a body. We will see new oppression and violence. Those who are content to gather in the mega-comfort of a congregation and feel they have done their true service to God by sitting in a pew for an hour, may find the birth pangs a little more difficult going forward.
