A few thoughts on Abortion
Feb 12, 2009 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
This weekend, we had people text messaging prayer requests so our church could be praying for each other. It was an absolutely amazing experience and I think it was a great way to bring a large church together in community.
One of the first messages we received as this one:
for my friend who is debating getting an abortion or not
I remember reading that request and feeling my stomach sink. I believe abortion is one of the great sins of our nation and our world in this present age. My heart breaks not only for the children who are aborted but also for the women who have the abortions. And that”s the odd dilemma I have always faced. I have mentioned abortion in passing while preaching, but I have never hit it hard.
Why?
Because of the women. I have never met a woman who has had an abortion who has not been broken-hearted about it (to one level or another). The last thing I want to do is to heap on the pain.
With other sin areas, I feel I can hit harder. Even areas where people feel pain and shame. I preach harder on other stuff because I want to be faithful to the truth, but I also want people to not experience this pain and shame in their lives.
That’s why this video I saw today hit me so hard. (via Triablogue: A Two Minute Overview of Abortion):
Here are some convicting words from John Piper:
I preach on the horrific sin and injustice of abortion and on the glory of the cause of life at least once a year in our church. I try to encourage the Sanctity of Human Life Task Force in our church in other ways. I call our people to dream of ways of being sacrificially involved in the pro-life efforts to make abortion unthinkable in our country. I glorify adoption and fan the flames of its spread in our church. I offer precious blood-bought forgiveness and hope to all the women and men in the congregation who have experienced or encouraged abortion. I speak and pray at pro-life gatherings outside abortion clinics and support crisis pregnancy centers with my presence and my money. In past days I have joined peaceful protests and been arrested numerous times and spent one night in jail. I have made my case for life before angry crowds, and before judges, and over lunch with an abortionist.
Not sure what I’m going to do about this, but I promised earlier this year that I would blog about the things I am wrestling with so I felt I should lay this one out there.
Tags: abortion
