Why would a blog about hospitality bother to post something about the abortion bill? Believe it or not, there is a correlation that is worth talking about and something you can do to help!

The New Abortion Law and the Christian’s Response

New York state, where I live, just passed a law that makes abortion legal for the entire course of pregnancy.

This is an expansion on the already horrific law that allowed for abortion up to 24 weeks. 

Let me be clear, it is not more evil to kill a child late in pregnancy than it is early but it does represent a new level of callousness and there will now be opportunity for more children to be sacrificed on the altar of selfishness. 

My writing time is limited between homeschooling two young children and a myriad of random responsibilities so I try to preplan and think through everything before I sit down at the computer. 

This bill was passed the day before my normal writing day. Every chance I could, I sat down and was unable to put any words on the page.

It is a dark day in New York state. 
It is a day for mourning and that is what I am doing. 

The blank page stared back at me, daring me to consider what this would do in my life beyond the emotional horror of the moment.

As I have wept and prayed and discussed today, the Lord has moved on my heart. I truly believe there is a hospitable response to this infanticide. 

What Every Person Reading this needs to know: 

You have value. Your life matters. Not because your mom said so but because you are created in the image of God. You bear the image of the Almighty. Your soul is eternal. You have value and worth not because you have health or a good life. You have inherent value and worth in your personhood. 

You have value no matter your experience. 

You have value if you are loved or if you are hated. 

You have value if you have physical, mental, or emotional differences. 

You have value and you have since the moment you were conceived. 

Every child has value: 

Children in orphanages in Eastern Europe have value even if their culture casts them out. 

Children in the foster care system have value even if the world says they are broken. 

Children who are differently abled have value. 

Children in homes, churches, and schools everywhere have value. 

Children in wombs everywhere have value.

What should happen: 

The Bible tells us that we are supposed to “welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us, for the glory of God” (Romans 15:7).

Was it convenient for Christ to welcome us? Did it come at a good time? Were we lovely or worthy? Was it easy? 

On the contrary, Christ went to the cross on our behalf. He died for us.

He did not say we must die for Him, He knew we were helpless and needy and He met our need by dying on our behalf.  God the second person came to earth and died for people who could not accomplish anything on their own. 

What we should see is mothers and fathers everywhere willing to lay down their lives for the good of their children. These helpless and needy babies who can accomplish nothing on their own should receive the warm embrace of people willing to lay aside their own comforts for their good. That would be welcoming others the way we have been welcomed. 

Related: The Hospitality of Jesus and What that Means for Us

What is actually happening: 

Instead what we see is the common belief is my life, as a woman, is somehow more important and more valuable than my child’s. I can sacrifice my child, even my fully formed child, on the altar of my own mental health.

God have mercy on us. 

my baby girl

still my baby girl

The Hospitable Response to Abortion Legislation

1. The Church Must Take a Stand

We must be willing to call this out. We must be willing to take a stand that it is not okay to take innocent lives. 

Perhaps the good the Lord will do through this will be to call the church out of our apathy to a renewed horror at what is happening all over our country – what has been happening for an entire generation. 

It is estimated that more than 82,000 children have been slaughtered in New York via abortion. Now, thanks to the recent passage of this bill, there are new ways to kill children.

The church must stand with the helpless.

The church must stand with Christ, the creator of these beloved ones. 

Spurgeon said that “the Word of God is like a lion. You don’t have to defend a lion. All you have to do is let the lion loose, and the lion will defend itself.” We stand on Scripture and believe that God works through His Word. 

Genesis 1:27 – “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female, He created them.”

Exodus 21 – “If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life.”

Psalm 139:13-14 – “For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you.”

The church must take a bold step to defend the lives of children. 

    2. We Must Care for the Children who Live

In a society where the easiest option in a difficult situation is murder, the church has a real opportunity to stand in the gap for the children who survive. 

Christians everywhere should consider how they can open their homes to meet the needs of the least of these. This does not mean everyone is called to adoption but it does mean everyone is called to care. 

Prayerfully consider if you should adopt or foster. Prayerfully consider becoming a family who can provide respite for foster families. Come alongside those you know who are fostering and adopting by providing a listening ear, resources, meals, and encouragement. 

Related: 4 Ways You Can Help In The Worldwide Orphan Crisis

If we are really going to be pro-life that cannot stop when a child leaves the womb safely. We must also be willing to care and come alongside for a lifetime. 

Related: 6 Things the Bible Says about Children From Hard Places

    3. We Must Love the Women Who are at Risk of Making this Kind of Decision

The world is telling these mothers that the best decision is to kill their children via abortion. The world says they will avoid shame and consequences for their own sinfulness or that of others by having a “simple” medical procedure done. 

But the truth is, abortion is not a get out of jail free card. 

It is a life sentence. For the mother and the child. 

The child is sentenced to death for a crime they did not commit. 

The mother is sentenced to a life of perpetually trying to justify her decisions and live with the pain. Or, perhaps worse, she is sentenced to a hardening of conscious that gives her false assurance that this awful act is justified. 

Our call, as believers, is to love these women. 

Our hearts, and possibly our homes, need to be open to these women. If we are really going to say we are pro-life, we must be willing to get uncomfortable. We must be willing to bring in unwed mothers and offer them our couches and our food. We must be willing to adopt their babies or help them with adoption plans or teach them how to parent. 

The Gospel call requires that we live consistently what we say we believe. And sometimes that will mean hospitality no one but God sees as we welcome with love those who have been cast out. This is a beautiful way God may choose to preserve the lives of children which our culture desires to throw away. 

    4. We Must Love these Mothers, Fathers, and Medical Professionals

By this, I mean the Christian definition of love which includes telling the truth. Call out what is sin and love all along the way. There is no love where there is not truth but we serve a God of grace and truth who redeems sinners and offers a way of escape. 

The gospel is for the woman who has had an abortion, the man who has encouraged it, and the medical professional who has performed it JUST AS MUCH as the gospel is for me. 

But for the grace of God go I also!

And I have offended this holy God in just as many ways. His mercy toward me causes my heart to worship. May our churches be filled with those who have come to hate the sin of abortion and cling to the mercy of Christ that redeems sinners and sets them free!

We cannot allow our horror at this atrocity to stop us from displaying the character of Christ. Christ was angry but He did not sin (Matthew 21:12-13) and this is His requirement of us (Ephesians 4:26). 

God is holy which means He knows far better than any of us the weight of this sin. He is everywhere present so He sees what is done in the secret places of these abortion mills. And yet, somehow, He is also forgiving, gracious, kind, and merciful. A day of judgement will come. Justice will reign. But, for those of us hidden in Christ, the justice we deserve has been meted out at the Cross. 

There is hope in the Gospel because our God is infinitely gracious and merciful. 

He is far more generous with His forgiveness than I ever would be. 

And that is good news for me. 

Good news for you. 

And good news for the person who is facing this kind of decision. 

my baby boy

still my baby boy

Real Hospitality May in Fact Be the Answer

There are a lot of ways you can be involved but please don’t think it won’t include your home. Social media outrage will only accomplish so much. Real life interactions, fighting for the lives of children everywhere, are what will change things. 

Sometimes living what you believe will make you uncomfortable. Sometimes it will mean stepping into the unknown with someone, trusting that God will care for the details. Sometimes it will mean walking through sorrow and struggle. 

It is messy and it is beautiful to be used of God. 

Being used of God in this way could look like opening your home for children in the form of foster care or adoption. It could also look like taking in a young mother who needs a place to stay and showing her first hand what it means to be a mom. It could also look like welcoming in people who are broken over their sin and showing them the grace and forgiveness of Christ. 

If you really want to approach this issue with the heart of Christ, you must approach it with love and truth and a willingness to associate with sinners the way our Savior did!

Today I am praying that God shows me where He wants me to step up and I am aching to see His church rise up with more than platitudes or emotions but with vigor to see the fame of God spread as image bearers hear of their worth and all that has been accomplished by Christ to buy them back. 

Have you seen God work through any of these means? What is your reaction to the news of this latest bill? How do you plan to respond? Let me know in the comments below!