It is painful to consider the 40th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade. Since 1973 over 55 million unborn babies have been aborted. Let that number set in. It should turn the stomaches of the sensible.
As people who value and intend to uphold the dignity of life, Christians long to see this law overturned and the killing cease. But how do we go about this? How can we strategically and effectively target the command center of the American conscience? How can we successfully penetrate through layers of security? The barriers of secularism seem to be impermeable. Are we stuck with what we have?
I don’t think so. As Christians we should look back for a moment and then resolutely look ahead.
Tim Keller in his book Center Church is helpful in looking back:
The past two decades have produced a far greater acknowledgment that major social justice and social change movements in Britain and the United States – such as the abolition of slavery and the strengthening of child labor laws – had strong roots in the revivals. Because true religion is not merely a private practice that provides internal peace and fulfillment, holiness affects both the private and civic lives of christians. It transforms behavior and relationships. The active presence of a substantial number of genuine Christians thus changes a community in all its dimensions – economic, social, political, intellectual, and more. (Tim Keller, Center Church), pp. 81-82.
If Christians want to see the Pro-Abortion castle crumble then they should pray and labor for gospel advancement and gospel renewal. You cannot hope for a people dominated by a secularist worldview to suddenly become champions for human dignity. As one person has rightly said, “The secularist cannot bear the weight of human dignity.” The only way to get after the hearts and values of the people is by means of the gospel.
The way ahead is prayerfulness and faithfulness for the advancement of the gospel. There are certainly more things that Christians can do for the cause of life, but there is not less. Let’s not overlook this most basic and most powerful weapon for pulling down strongholds.
