Unless you have been stranded on a desert island or have put your head in the sand, you know that, in recent weeks, several videos have been released to the public, showing Planned Parenthood doctors and undercover pro-life activists discussing the procedure of abortion. In the videos, the doctors explain how an abortion can carefully be done to harvest undamaged organ and muscle “specimens” so they can be sold for research.
Watching the videos, especially the third, stirs within me a tsunami of thoughts and emotions. Honestly, I can’t convey them succinctly, not only because there are so many, but additionally, there is an inner conflict and tension.
On the one hand, as long as Planned Parenthood is providing abortion, I want them to be defunded. I feel disgust and anger that people can be so cruel and calloused toward unborn and defenseless persons – both little girls and boys. Don’t these pro-destruction doctors know they are killing a human person? Hasn’t it occurred to them that they also were once in the womb and defenselessly vulnerable? In the name of women’s health and reproductive rights, can’t they see they are hurting women and killing little girls? Anyone who is willing to honestly look at an ultrasound, knows the life in the womb is a human being with all the capacity to become a functioning person. Don’t they have eyes to see? Abortion is wrong! It is unjust! It is immoral! Defund Planned Parenthood!
On the other hand, I feel pity for those who make abortion possible, and I have deep empathy for hurting women who feel trapped, hopeless and scared, seeing no other option than to surrender their body and baby to a procedure that hurts and destroys life. I want to do more than condemn! I want people to change their minds! I want to help! I want to give hope!
It is right and just to be against abortion, but it’s not enough just to be against something, we must also be for something. We must be for people, and if we are for people, we must do something to help people. We must do more than defund Planned Parenthood.
What then can we do? What can you do? It is such a massive problem, and we have so little control over laws and the personal decisions people make.
The answer is simple. With God’s energy and strength, we must do what we can – with what we have – where we are. Doing nothing is doing something, and it is the worst something we can do.
To begin with, anyone claiming Christ must constantly preach to themselves that they are sinner and rebel in need of the grace of God through Jesus Christ. Unless we start here, we will run into the ditch of self-righteousness, and instead of being a part of the solution, we will only be willing to condemn. That doesn’t help anyone. We must do more than point out what is wrong; we must declare to ourselves and others that we all need the righteousness of God through faith in Christ alone. We must be continuously humbled and motivated by our sinful condition and God’s amazing grace.
But we must also put actions to our faith and join those who are already making a difference to help mothers, fathers and unborn babies. Have you thought about partnering with a crisis pregnancy center in your city or town? Have you offered to serve or mentor hurting men and women? Have you contributed financially? Have you donated diapers, baby bedding, clothes and other items? Have you considered adoption or becoming a foster-parent? If there is not a crisis pregnancy center where you live, have you prayed about starting one? Besides being against abortion vocally and politically, what have you done to help?
We must support and stand with the hurting. If we as Christians won’t help those who are hurting, organizations like Planned Parenthood will fill the void. In recent weeks, we have seen how they help. We can offer something better, but we must love people more.