Can a four-minute video shift a culture’s view on the impact of abortion? Heroic Media’s “The Apology” may bring an answer to that question.
Featuring three men—all Christians—talking through and apologizing for their roles in an abortion, “The Apology” offers a man’s perspective on the after-effects of abortion with a view toward repentance and healing from the past.
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Originally released in early 2015 for Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, “The Apology” is taking on a life of its own throughout churches, the pregnancy help community and even on liberal web sites.
More than 300 pregnancy help organizations and 2,400 churches have downloaded the video, according to Heroic Media, which sees it as not only a way to present healing to post-abortive men, but to accomplish another purpose as well.
With society telling men that abortion is solely a women’s issue, “The Apology” shows only men, speaks to only men and subtly invites men to find their voices on the issue.
Perhaps the best confirmation of “The Apology’s” effectiveness comes from liberal websites. Purveyor of all things snark Jezebel posted an article condemning the video and pointed to a parody video at another site, FunnyorDie.
Joe Young, Heroic Media’s Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Operations, isn’t alarmed by the attacks.
“The attacks from the left only drew more people to our site,” Young said. “We were able to touch people who would not have otherwise seen the video and get a message of hope and healing to them.”
For Young, hope and healing were the two key goals of making the video.
“There are millions of women and men dealing with emotional, spiritual and/or physical pain that their choice of abortion has caused,” Young said. “This video gives voice to some of that pain.”
To begin the healing process, “The Apology” connects viewers to www.GraceHeals.com, a site directing those interested to local post-abortion recovery providers.
Though the video features men, it is reaching women in a new way, too. Susan Decker-Bunce, Executive Director of First Choice Women’s Medical Center in Montgomery, Ala., sent the video to several churches in her area and saw its impact on women.
“I sincerely appreciated the ‘I’m sorry,’” a post-abortive woman told Decker-Bunce after watching the video. “A lot of women just don’t get to hear that.”
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Decker-Bunce said local pastors appreciated the video’s perspective. “One pastor told me it was totally different from anything he had ever seen” in a Sanctity of Human Life related video, she said.
Alice Thompson, Executive Director of Heart Choices in Beloit, KS, echoes Decker-Bunce’s thoughts.
When she showed the video at several churches, “The different angle grabbed the hearts of people,” Thompson said. “This is a man standing up and taking responsibility for his part (in an abortion) and is a way to let men know that this isn’t just about her.”
Catch Kirk Walden at the 2015 Heartbeat International Annual Conference April 7-10 in St. Louis. As part of the Conference, Heartbeat International is offering a "Men's Round Table" with facilitators Sol Pitchon (New Life Solutions) and Jor-El Godsey (Heartbeat International).
