“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” – John 1:14 and “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” – John 1:17
Those of us who have been involved in the pro-life movement for a long time have seen things change dramatically over the years. Those who were at work when Roe v. Wade was passed in 1973 felt like they had experienced a setback, but firmly believed that truth would win out and that this bad decision by the Supreme Court would be overturned on appeal. That same month the Vietnam War ended, and for the first time in history, American veterans returned home to hostile crowds. The stage was set for an era of history where America would clearly demonstrate on every front that we were no longer “one nation under God.” (see source).
Those who wanted to fight for the rights of the unborn and for protection for all human life were divided into two basic camps – the activists who fought for truth on the political front, and the pacifists who decided to minister with grace and compassion by meeting women in the privacy of small storefront counseling centers across the nation. Both groups were led by sincere, Christian people. Both groups felt a clear call from God. Both groups have saved multitudes of unborn children for over four decades, and there are millions of women and men who have been spared the pain and regret of abortion because of the work that these groups to do change laws, and to change hearts and minds. The pro-life movement is like a family.
But like most families, there is also a fair amount of squabbling and dysfunction from time to time! As the early followers of Jesus learned, the law without grace is empty and judgmental, and grace without truth is shallow and meaningless. It is easy for the activist to think the battle will be won in the courtroom; it is easy for the pacifist to think the battle will be won in the counseling room. The whole truth is that it takes all of us doing all that we are called to do to make a difference and save lives.
The key to success in serving in the pro-life arena in 2015 is knowing the difference between the two perspectives and knowing where you and/or your organization are called to serve. At Hope Women’s Centers, our Core Values reflect that we have always known – ever since that first little center opened in Ft. Lauderdale on January 17, 1987, that we were called to serve women, one at a time in the privacy of the counseling room. We knew we had to tell them the truth about life, the truth about abortion, and the Truth about Jesus Christ. We knew that we had to present an opportunity for them to respond, and we recognized that the choices were theirs, not ours. Over the years, we added medical services, discontinued material services, changed our name a couple of times, and have expanded from one location to five – but our basic identity has remained unchanged.
We applaud the efforts of our counterparts who are out there lobbying our legislators, praying peacefully on the sidewalks at abortion clinics, and organizing rallies and protests to let the general public know about the crimes against humanity that are being committed every day in abortion clinics across our nation. It is easy to get so riled up with “righteous anger” that we respond to conversations in the public square or to a Facebook or Twitter post in a way that is not consistent with our point of view.
But those who are called by God to minister to the women and men who are considering abortion must remember that many of those who witness the protests are either current or future patients who would feel totally betrayed to see an employee of Hope Women’s Centers on the evening news, or standing on the courthouse steps holding signs that say ‘abortion kills children.’ Truth? Yes. Grace? Not so much. A peaceful sidewalk demonstration can quickly turn into angry words and smart phone videos can be online in a matter of seconds. We have a 28 year history of creating a safe place for women to come and receive truth with mercy. We can’t risk that by waging our war to save the lives of babies and the souls of women by using someone else’s battle plan.
With all that is being exposed about possible illegal practices at some Planned Parenthood clinics, it is harder than ever not to express outrage in the public square…yet we know that God extends the same grace to the abortionists that He extends to us and to our clients. The people who run these abortion clinics are flawed – just like all of us. The transforming love of Jesus Christ is all they need to cause them to lay down their instruments of death and walk away. We join Abby Johnson, former Planned Parenthood clinic director, in her prayer that there will come a day when abortion is no more because there are no doctors willing to perform them, no nurses who will work in the clinics, and all that will be said about abortion clinics is “and Then There Were None.”
“Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.'” – Matthew 12:25
If you feel called to join our efforts to save lives. Pray for us, volunteer at a center, participate in our Walk For Life, and give as you are able.
About the Author: Nancy McDonald served as a board member of Hope Women’s Centers for 10 years until she joined the staff in 2000. Today she serves as the organization’s President/CEO and is more passionate than ever about helping women choose life!
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