Loving the sinner

Yesterday was Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. My family and I attended a Rally for Life that was put on by a local Pregnancy Care Clinic. They are trying to open a new clinic up in a location in San Diego that most people forget about. They want to be present in a community that has a large number of unplanned pregnancies and not many options for how to handle such a situation.

It got me thinking. About abortion. About adoption. About how everyone, Christians included, are afraid to tackle such subjects. We are afraid of the backlash. We are afraid of offending someone. I have both fears, but I feel that something needs to be said about it.

I think if you ask most Christians, they will tell you that they are against abortion. And if you ask most of them, they will say that it is an area of our world that desperately needs Christ. Yet, whenever I've spoken to a group of Christians, at church, at a rally, at a fundraising event... you mention abortion and they all begin to shake their heads, raise their eyebrows, whisper to their neighbors about how abhorrent it is... use words like 'abhorrent'. And I think to myself, how is that attitude helping anyone? Especially when you realize that 70% of women who have an abortion classify themselves as believers. These women could be sitting in the pew next to you and you're saying these things to them. Think about that.

Don't get me wrong. I think abortion is wrong. The same way that I think that lying is wrong. Stealing is wrong. You get the point. It's easy to love and accept someone who is a liar and needs Christ. Why do we struggle with those who have gone through an abortion? Don't they deserve love? Don't they deserve grace? Don't they deserve Christ?

I get tired of it. The JUDGEMENT. That's not how you make a difference. You want to stop abortions in this country? Then stop judging and start loving. Stop making them feel like they are unforgivable and show them what it means to be redeemed.

That's what I love about these pregnancy centers. They love on these women. They provide them with choice... true choice. They explain the choice of parenting. They explain the choice of abortion. They explain the choice of adoption. And for a woman in a crisis pregnancy situation, none of these choices are easy. But the staff and volunteers at a pregnancy center will be there for that woman, no matter what she chooses.

That is love. That is compassion. That is Christ. That is what we need to do.

So here's my challenge for you and myself: If we want to make a difference for these women, we need to get involved.

Here's some suggestions:
pray
donate
volunteer
pray
throw the center a shower
buy diapers next time you're out and drop them off at the center
give them all your old baby clothing, blankets, bedding, etc.
pray
serve as an event volunteer
vote pro-life
get 5 friends to do the 'walk for life' in your area
...and did I mention pray? 'Cause that's a big one.

So stop complaining about the amount of abortions in this country and get out and do something about it.