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A day many thought they would never live to see in the US has finally come. Roe vs Wade has been overturned and the Federal Law for protecting abortion is no more. Many are celebrating this event, and rightfully so. The Church in America especially should be celebrating this decision to protect unborn image-bearers, as the faithful prayers of many have been answered. However, this event also brings cause for concern for the Church and the Nation as well. How will the Church respond in the coming months and election cycles? Will the Church recognize the work that has just begun, or will it be looked at as an overwhelming victory, giving way to the same types of discussions that produce “racism ended in 1964.” My fear is that the Church and the nation is not fully prepared for the work that lays before us much like the post-Civil War America was not fully ready to deal with life after chattel slavery. Today is not Mission Accomplished, but a beginning of a much more difficult work than even the past 50 years has been. Are we ready?
Is the church ready to welcome single parents in without providing more shame? The condemnation over leggings from pastors online, and the treatment of victims of abuse make me wonder. Is the church ready to support the local schools with the taxes needed to feed the kids that can’t get food elsewhere? The number of people calling the schools evil for “indoctrination” tells me probably not. Is the church ready to move its political lobby towards affordable healthcare for these image-bearers they fought to protect in the womb? Is the church ready to promote affordable housing in their communities at the risk of their property values or neighborhood demographics changing? Is the church ready to not only finance the work that the local pregnancy centers have been doing but actually stock them with resources & volunteers needed to meet the needs of the community? Is the church ready to support organizations like Ability Ministry to be able to effectively provide for the kids with disabilities in your church and surrounding communities? Is the church ready to help organizations like Rahab Ministries go into the strip clubs and find the women stuck in a cycle of sex work, in order to provide for their children? Is the church ready to support ministries like our partners TIQVAH and the Martin Center to provide safe places for the kids to be kids when their situations try and force early adulthood? Are we ready for the work to truly begin?
My fear is that the Church does not fully comprehend or is fully prepared for the work ahead. I pray that we recognize that this court decision was just a small battle and not the war at large. The church has been doing faithful work over the past 50 years, and I am hoping that the Church is prepared to increase that work over the next 50 as well, to meet the new challenges it will face. Today is a day to be celebrated, and I am hopeful that today will also be a day that marks the beginning of transforming communities through the Gospel work of the Local Church caring for “the least of these."
MINISTRIES DOING THE WORK WE RECOMMEND:
Tiqvah - Hands of Hope: www.tiqvah.org
The Martin Center: www.3rdstreetchurch.com
Ability Ministries: www.abilityministry.com
Rahab Ministries: www.rahab-ministries.org
Christian Children's Home of Ohio: www.ccho.org