Is the Church Being a Voice for the Voiceless?

A voice for the voiceless. Who are the truly voiceless, and what should we as Christians be doing for them? There is one group that stands out from the rest. They are the truly voiceless and need our voices. This group is the unborn.

Sarah Bessey, a self-proclaimed “pro-life Christian feminist,” believes all Christians can agree that “Every person carries the breath of God. We are made in the image of God.”

Today when we hear the word feminist, we tend to think of a group that promotes pro-choice ideals. Yet, in the earlier era of feminism, abortion was seen as “violence against women by a society who did not value women.” Bessey continues,

As a woman, as a mother, as a Christian, as a feminist, my entire being revolts against abortion and the Orwellian language with which we excuse ourselves.

I want women to be safe and I want babies to be born. I want all of the reasons why women abort to cease, to be healed, to be legislated right out.

Bessey does not believe that legislated change will be likely, so she encourages Christians and churches to continue speaking out. She believes, “The best way to save babies is to support women well.”

So how can Christians be a voice for the unborn and support women well? These 2 points may surprise you.

1. Preach the Gospel to the Conscious and Offer Mercy

Dr. Russell Moore writes in his Crosswalk.com blog,

The woman who has had the abortion needs to know that, if she is hidden in Christ, God does not see her as ‘that woman who had the abortion.’ He hasn’t been subverted from sending her to hell because she found a gospel ‘loophole.’ In Christ, she’s already been to hell.

The consciences around us don’t believe what they’re telling themselves. They’re scared and accused. Shine the light in the eyes of their consciences. Prophetically. All for justice, legally and culturally, for the unborn. But don’t stop there.

After all, the spirit of murder doesn’t start or end in the abortion clinic (Matt. 5:21, 15:19; Jn. 8:44; Acts 9:1; Rom. 1:29; Jn. 3:15). And the blood of Christ has cleansed the consciences of rebels like all of us.

Warn of hell, but offer mercy. Offer that mercy not only at the Judgment Seat of Christ, but in the small groups and hallways of your church.

Offer mercy with expectations. Offer Jesus’ love to those who have forgotten what love looks like.

2. Don’t Just Attend Church. Be the Church

Jennifer Maggio, is one of the nation’s leading authorities on single parent issues. She writes,

…do you realize that MOST women abort because they simply do not feel they can effectively parent the child? Whether it be finances, young ages, emotional stability, or parenting skills, these women feel overwhelmed and scared.

Dr. Moore agrees and shares,

In your congregation this Sunday, and in the neighborhoods around you right now, there are women vulnerable to abortionist propaganda, not because they reject the church but because they’re afraid they‘ll lose the church. Pregnant young women are scared they will scandalize church people when they start to show, so they keep it secret. Parents are fearful their pregnant daughter, or their son’s pregnant girlfriend, will prompt the rest of the congregation to see them as bad families.

Don’t let the abortion clinics be the only voice of caring. This means your voice may be more useful taking the hand of someone struggling and showing them that the church is there for them not just for the birth but for the raising of their child. Abortion clinics offer a quick solution without regard to life, but churches can offer a lasting solution that lifts life up. Maggio states,

This is the reason we developed The Life of a Single Mom Ministries. TLSM is committed to equipping every church across the country on how to best meet the needs of single parents in their communities (and to raise awareness that those single parents exist) and to see that no single mom walks alone. For more information, visit http://www.thelifeofasinglemom.com”

Don’t just point someone to a resource, be a resource. Bessey concludes, “Our pro-life ethic has to outlast our outrage. It has to show up in our communities and churches and clinics.” You can read her full article at sarahbessey.com.

Will you join me in being a resource and a light for those in the abortion industry? Our mercy should be greater than our outrage.

Liz Kanoy is an Editor for Crosswalk.com

Publication Date: July 24, 2015