In yesterday’s post, we began working through the idea that the Pregnancy Help Community can be the catalyst for actually ending abortion as we know it.
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The reason for yesterday’s column—and today’s—is because I wonder if we in the Pregnancy Help Community sometimes fall into the conventional wisdom that the “real” battle to create a culture of life is only in the political realm and we are simply a behind-the-scenes, away-from-the-action group of quiet helpers.
If we fall into this trap, our thinking is flawed and we are missing the big picture. In truth, those in the political realm and we in the Pregnancy Help Community work hand-in-hand. Together we are strong. If we forget our vital role however, we all lose—and this includes moms, dads and children.
As we noted yesterday, victory in the political realm can limit abortion. In addition, laws and regulations can make the Pregnancy Help Community much more effective.
Yet, we also pointed out that even banning abortion around the world can’t end the practice. Until a culture changes its collective heart, massive illegal markets would emerge after any law is passed.
Our mission then, is to keep in mind what we offer and how these offerings can lead to the practical end of abortion as we know it.
Yesterday we started with five. Today, five more reasons I think we’re on the cusp of ending abortion.
That’s because pregnancy help organizations offer:
1. Fatherhood
More and more PHOs are engaging fathers more effectively. Some do this through volunteer initiatives, others are taking the plunge and hiring full-time fatherhood coordinators.
An expectant mother with a supportive and excited father almost always means a choice for life. In addition, strong daddies—especially married dads—break cycles of single-parenthood, leading to fewer unplanned pregnancies in the next generation.
2. The Extra Mile
One of many differences between the Pregnancy Help Community and the abortion industry is what we can call “The Extra Mile.” If a client or patient needs an extra hour of our time, a particular resource, a job, or a shoulder to lean on—we make ourselves available. We don’t pretend to have everything, but we are always willing to try and help.
Contrast this with the abortion industry, where a product is sold and customers are quickly shuttled out the door. Our desire to do more is exactly what Jesus taught. And this desire is a large brick on the path to ending abortion.
3. Faith
The overwhelming majority of pregnancy help organizations are faith-based. This means that clients, patients and residents will see faith-in-action, hear of faith in casual conversations and perhaps engage in a dialogue regarding the good news brought by Jesus Christ.
Make no mistake: Every time one of our clients chooses to follow Jesus Christ, our society changes for the better and the felt need for abortion decreases. Every time.
4. Hope
Many in the abortion industry believe they offer a practical answer to an unplanned pregnancy. There is no doubt they provide an answer; it’s just the wrong one, devoid of hope. Those who enter an abortion center do so with a desperate admission that their situation is too much to handle. The decision for abortion therefore, is many times one of hopelessness.
The Pregnancy Help Community however, offers quite the opposite. We remind those who come in our various doors that all things are possible; that we will walk alongside them with encouragement and practical assistance.
In essence, we offer hope to the hopeless and a path to victory for those who feel defeated. On this one point we can be assured; people in all situations desire hope.
As time goes on, those who face unplanned pregnancies—if we continue to grow in all of these areas—will gravitate our way much more often. By offering hope, we are one step closer to the end of abortion.
5. Love
Without question, Love tops our list of reasons why the Pregnancy Help Community can aspire to ending abortion as we know it.
Any great mission of faith begins with love. Jesus reminded us that if we are to overcome evil, we must do so through practicing good. All of our good is predicated upon our love for God and for our neighbor, both of which echo Jesus two greatest commands.
Ultimately, it is love—the kind of love that takes action, that never gives up, that never lets go of hope—that changes a culture.
When we consider what it will take to create a culture where abortion truly disappears from the societal landscape, our mission begins—and will be completed—with love.
Call me unrealistic, but I believe we can do this. We can virtually end this chapter in human history. The Pregnancy Help Community has more strength than we can imagine; yet we have more responsibility than we might believe, too.
These two columns outline ten gifts we bring to the table. When we put these gifts together and build on them each day when we enter our places of work, we are an unstoppable force.
It is time for the Pregnancy Help Community to believe in the power God has given us. Now is the time to put our faith into action, because if we believe and act, the end of abortion is closer than we might think.
