Meeting Grief with Grace

I have prayed about this post for a while before putting it out into the world.

Since the ruling in New York, I’ve seen a lot of posts about abortion on my social feeds. I’m not going to debate the morality of abortion, because at the end of the day I am pro-life, but I do want to point out that when the crowd was ready to stone the woman, Jesus didn’t join them just because they were on the right side of the issue. Instead, He stood against the crowd and invited them to self-reflect.

It’s easy to assume we know what kind of choice we would make, but the truth is that a lot of us have never had to actually choose. I’ve heard a lot of male Christian leaders voicing their opinions, and while I respect their platforms, what I don’t hear a lot of is: “Thank God I have never been put in that position.”

In the interest of self-reflection, are you confident you would make the same decision if you were a scared teenager, told by your parents that you would be kicked out if you kept the baby? Or if you were a single mom being told that your baby would not survive or would suffer?

What if you didn’t have a relationship with Jesus—would you still make the same choice?

I see nothing wrong with disliking the new law and voicing opinions on it, but I would urge caution against turning that into an attack on the women who have chosen abortion, especially those who are still shattered by their decision. The cross is a symbol of hope in the middle of devastation, so we should never use it to beat someone while they are in pain.

Grace without truth is a dangerous message, but truth without grace is just as bad. We are all shaped by our unique backgrounds and life experiences, and we can’t hold the world to a standard they haven’t yet chosen.

Before you post on social media, think about the individuals in your life that you might be hurting with your hashtags and harsh words. As Christians who are called to represent Jesus in a hurting world, let’s start a dialogue instead of a lynch mob.

To those who have taken up the banner of the Gospel by running shelters for pregnant women in need, or helping mothers who want to make adoption plans, or supporting families who don’t know how they will make it to the next paycheck, I applaud you. I want to be more like you. To those who haven’t had the opportunity, I encourage you to volunteer in an unplanned pregnancy center and reach out in love to women during their pregnancies.

To those who have been in this situation and chose life, I praise God for you and for the life you chose. Without judgement, to those who have experienced abortion, my heart breaks for you, your situation, and your unborn child. I pray that you find peace in the arms of the King of Kings, who will always welcome you gladly.