In Our Midst

Hey Mary,

You make an excellent point:

"But when those in our midst who have been hurt by abortion find healing in the love, grace and mercy of Jesus Christ, they become rebuilders of what has been ruined, raising up the very foundations of our faith in our Mighty God. As they share their testimonies and as they encourage others around them that have been similarly hurt, relationships are mended, breaches are repaired, and restoration takes place in numerous avenues."

It reminds me of what others have said. The late Guy Condon said in his book Fatherhood Aborted that "when a man makes a commitment to seek help resolving his own issues with the past, it's a new day. A brand new future starts to unfold for him." The same would apply to post-abortive mothers as well. Warren Williams of Fathers and Brothers Ministries stated that "when [a father's] story is an open book to others, he gives honor to the lost child and God gets all the glory." That's a powerful statement and was a major inspiration for me to start my own ministry.

Unfortunately, many people are too afraid to speak out about their experience due to their own guilt and shame. As you mentioned in your "Giving Them A Voice" article, they fear judgement and criticism from others in their church. My experience is that many churches are judgemental, unforgiving and more concerned with the rules/laws and self-glorification. In reality, they should be focused on compassion, understanding and forgiveness. They also need to encourage repentance from sin, rather than just accept it as the secular world does. Acceptance doesn't save souls, repentance does.

Lastly, regarding shame, it says in 1 Peter 4:16, "Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on his behalf." Helen Merrel Lynd put it best when she said "Experiences of shame appear to embody the root meaning of the word - to uncover, to expose, to wound. They are experiences of exposure... The exposure may be to others, but whether others are or are not involved, it is always... exposure to one's own eyes."

Hi Jason,

A note about the Church in general: I believe one of the main reasons many of those judgmental churches condemn those who have been hurt by abortion is because they lack understanding that leads to compassion. I believe that once they learn the reasons people fall prey to abortion and how their lives are affected afterward, many of them will begin to exhibit Christ-like compassion for that hurting population in their midst. And that is what we need to pray for!

Thanks so much for your comments. I'm so glad you are out there working on the front lines on behalf of men who have been hurt by abortion. May God continue to bless your ministry.