Social justice is a phrase that’s received a lot of attention in the church in recent years. The phrase itself calls us to a deeper awareness of the need for a “just society.” It hearkens the words of our Savior, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
As Christians we are called to be activists. Christians are not passive people. I heard a preacher say recently, “Calling me a Christian activist is a redundancy.” The point being if you’re a Christian you’re called to be an activist: an agent of change in a world full of inequality. Christians understand that life matters. What we do with our life matters, how we spend our time matters, how we flesh out the life of Christ in community matters. It all matters, and it matters deeply.
Social justice has everything to do with life. As Christ-followers we fight for the poor, weak, and afflicted. We defend those who cannot defend themselves. We give voice to the voiceless and advocate for people on the margins. We spend time, resources, and energy rescuing orphans, feeding the hungry, providing healthcare for the sick, rehabilitating prisoners, and helping widows. We fight for women’s rights, racial equality, and fair immigration laws. We care for the sick, impoverished, and those who have been pushed to the fringes of society. While doing all of this we proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ as the way, truth, and LIFE.
For some reason, it seems that in conversations regarding social justice, one issue that should be at the forefront is neglected: ABORTION. The Bible is clear that life begins in the womb. “For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” (Psalm 139:13-14). If we are going to be a voice for the voiceless then we need to start speaking more loudly for those who have no voice at all.
An infant in the womb is innocent… Period. It carries no responsibility for its existence. Science has proven that in the womb we feel pain, express emotion, have dreams, and respond to sound. It amazes me how many people bring up science when speaking of homosexuality, and ignore science when speaking of life in the womb. Life is sacred and abortion is insanity, yet we ignore innocent life and justify death for the sake of convenience.
When you speak to someone who advocates abortion they always list reasons why abortion should be justified. “What if the woman’s life is in danger?” “What about cases of rape or incest?” they say. But the truth of the matter is the vast majority of abortions don’t happen because of rape, incest, or life threatening situations. The majority take place for reasons of personal convenience.
Mary Elizabeth Williams, a staff writer for Salon and vocal pro-choice advocate, admitted what we’ve known all along. She openly states that from the moment of conception the unborn child is a human life. Yet, she argues that this child must be terminated if a woman so desires. The child is a life, but in her twisted view it’s not valuable. Insanity, I know. Let me say again, life is sacred and abortion is insanity.
Scientific fact: the baby inside a woman’s body has its own DNA, blood-type, functioning body organs, and fingerprints. It’s a human being and no one has the right to take that life away. Yet, statistics show that one in four women have an abortion at some point and of course no one ever talks about the men who support and even coerce them into going through with it.
For those who have had an abortion and those who have supported abortion, you can be changed. God can take away the guilt. Don’t allow the spiritual numbness of a secular society to inform you. Refuse to allow your conscience to be seared. God can make you new again. God is absolutely incredible in the area of life transformation.
This issue is very close to my heart. I’m passionate about it because God is passionate about it. God is the author of life. Jesus came that we may have life. Being a Christian is about life. Social justice is about life. No one deserves to die for no reason. If we are going to be socially just in doing social justice, it has to begin here.
(Sources: Matt Chandler; Shane Claiborne)
Brian L Powell 