by Tim Patterson
PLYMOUTH, MI – There has been a great deal of talk about overturning Roe vs. Wade in the past few months and the matter of abortion has been a hot topic in almost every newscast. With the recent court ruling that corrected this terrible mistake of a law, the venom, hatred, and violence that issues forth from those that oppose the decision is growing and will continue to do so exponentially.
Politicians on both sides of the aisle seize these windows of opportunity to grandstand for more attention “face-time” and to help garner more votes and support for their next campaign. Self-promotion is nothing new among politicians.
Most see the issue of Pro-Life and Pro-Choice as fodder to fill their personal promotion cannon so that they may hurl their names or favorite cause into prominence. They care little for the lives they play with like rag dolls, only to be discarded when their usefulness is gone. Sadly, the issue is being used instead of enlightening. Most of what is being said or done on both sides is doing more damage than good.
I want to be very clear, that I am overjoyed the with wise, logical, and morally correct ruling of the court. Life has been honored. I am a strong believer that actions speak much louder than words and as this is being played out in the media and main street, so much of what is being said is revealing the true nature of the proclaimers.
Their words seem to be nothing more than empty pedanticism that cares little for the people they impact or the lives they can damage. As Christians, we must be kind and redemptive in our speech. We cannot let a particular political persuasion be the mantra that we mimic. Our words must be guided by grace and full of mercy that is empowered by His Spirit.
Do I believe that we need to speak about the issues? Absolutely! I believe that we must speak clearly, concisely, intelligently, passionately, and compassionately because those who devalue pre-born babies will continue to militantly demand their selfish perspective and warped rights. The recent ruling did not “put the issue to bed”, but it merely moved it to our respective states.
Dr. Al Mohler, President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has very astutely summarized the perspective of most of us who revere and hold strongly to the sanctity of life. In a recent news release he said:
Our nation celebrates financial abundance, but devalues human life.
We have experienced an economic expansion, but a moral recession.
We are obsessed with personal safety, but have made the womb a place of great danger.
Our concerns for personal "rights" have eclipsed our understanding of what is right and what is wrong.
Great advances in medicine have prolonged life for many, but we accept the most barbaric forms of the murder of the unborn.
We have elevated convenience over conviction, and comfort over compassion.
We have treated the blessings of parenthood as a burden.
We have rejected the gift of life, and have claimed this as a "right to choose."
“We are living on borrowed time. A nation cannot long prosper in its economy when it has sold its soul for personal choice. A nation is not strong when it destroys its weakest members. Americans demand rights rather than righteousness, and we are reaping a harvest of unrighteousness unparalleled in its magnitude.”
Stating our perspective and defending our position is the role and responsibility of all Christians of conscience, but to speak only with our mouths and pens with the absence of action in our lives is not only hypocritical, it is sinfully detrimental. We must live the Love we proclaim.
The best way to get our message across is share it with lip and life, as did a young girl named Alyssa. All through high school, Alyssa tried to share her faith in Christ with her four closest friends. In long late-night conversations, they’d talk about everything from heaven to abortion to the existence of evil in the world. Alyssa loved her friends and wanted them to know Christ the way she did.
After they graduated, the four friends tried to stay in touch. Even though they moved to different parts of the country, they e-mailed each other, got together at holidays, and even took vacations together during the summer. Sometimes they’d have conversations like the ones of old, with Alyssa talking about her beliefs and her relationship with God.
While Alyssa’s friends always treated her with respect, they never became Christians. Their decision—or, rather, their lack of a decision—was a real disappointment to Alyssa.
After college Alyssa accepted a job across the country and soon lost touch with her friends. When she came back home for Christmas one year, she ran into one of them at a local department store.
Her friend was pushing a baby stroller and proudly introduced her new baby to Alyssa. When Alyssa found out that her friend wasn’t married, she thought, a lot of good all that talking about God did. Look what happened to her. She ended up getting pregnant before she got married.
Toward the end of their conversation, Alyssa asked if she could hold the baby. As her friend handed the infant to her, she said, “You know, Alyssa, you’re partly to thank for this baby. If it weren’t for you, I would have had an abortion. But I kept remembering all we had talked about and just couldn’t do it.”
Keep telling the story and living the life. It has and does make a difference.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tim Patterson is Executive Director/Treasurer of the Baptist State Convention of Michigan. Elected unanimously in May of 2015, Patterson formerly served for 9 years as pastor of Hillcrest Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla. He also served as trustee chair and national mobilizer for the North American Mission Board.