Abortion From the Pulpit

I’ve spent a bit of time in the post-abortion healing world now and, by extension, the pro-life movement in general. I have learned a great deal and continue to learn every day from folks who have been at this way longer than I. 

But there’s a giant void in our world that has become more and more curious to me. That is the lack of pastors talking about abortion healing from the pulpit. I know there are a lot of reasons for this but none of them are particularly good. None of them justify staying away from a topic that impacts millions. 

One of the arguments that comes up over and over is that pastors don’t want to seem political. I understand that sentiment but abortion and especially post abortion recovery are not political issues. There’s a political element to them for certain and there are people in the pro-life movement that focus almost entirely on the politics of it.
But at its heart it is not a political issue. 

Another argument is that it will cause undue stress to attendees that have experienced abortion loss and the pastor won’t be able to help them once wound has been opened. To me, this is incredibly simple to address. Have support in place to help men and women that come forward after such a sermon. There are many quality recovery groups able to start chapters. 

Then there are those churches that do, of course, talk about abortion. But the way they present the message is way off base.

When I was in my 20s I had moved to a town in the deep south. I was not in touch with my abortion issues at that time. In fact, I was still in a running from God kind of place. Anyway, I stumbled into a church one Sunday morning. I had ridden my motorcycle and so I expected the strange looks as I walked in with long hair and in riding leathers. 

What I didn’t expect was the message from the pastor who talked about the evils of abortion. He also mentioned that those who had participated were evil and doomed to hell. I was angry. I left. Looking back I wonder how many people sitting through that had experienced abortion loss and listening to the wrong application of Scripture, turned further from God. 

But I digress. 

There are still other pastors that simply don’t want to offend anyone. The leadership of many churches these days wants and needs to keep butts in the seats. To that end they avoid discussing abortion or any other hot social issues. 

But they do so to a great disservice to their congregation. 

What should be preached is the Gospel…and certainly as it relates to abortion. 

The idea that we can provide hope, healing and a path to restored relationship with God to the millions of people that have abortions in their should be of utmost importance. I believe, as do many others in the abortion healing world, that the best way to end the demand for abortion is to heal those impacted by abortion. 

It’s pretty simple, actually. 

When you heal someone’s psychological and emotional problems it changes their world. It changes their life. But it also changes the lives of the people around them. It changes their family systems, friendships and work relationships. And it also changes folks they come into contact with in seemingly undetectable ways. 

Helping someone release shame and find restored relationship with God does the above and more. We were created for relationship and for relationship with God specifically. When we turn to or back to God, everything changes. Our eternity changes for certain. But our now changes as well. And as we share how we were healed and what the relationship with the Creator did for us, other men and women begin to see that such is possible for them too. 

This is where the seeds for revival will come from. 

And it starts with clergy and church leaders willing to step up and talk about healing opportunities. It requires church leaders to step out in faith and talk directly to the people in the pews about the possibility of forgiveness and restored relationship with God. In short, it requires pastors to truly be about God’s work and sharing the healing power of the Gospel.