42 Years After Roe v. Wade

Last year, I wrote a blog post about my dream for Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, an event that coincides with the anniversary of Roe v. Wade every January. Do you know one of the things I was dreaming for?

That the Church would lift up the kind of radical grace that dispels shame and paints a new, hope-filled future for both people involved in an unplanned pregnancy.

Last Sunday, The Moody Church in Chicago celebrated exactly this — and I got to be part of it.

I shared the stage with Khrysta, a vibrant young woman who is also part of a Caris Connection Group that meets at Moody each week. As Khrysta shared her experience with the group, there was one person she couldn’t stop talking about: Simone, the church volunteer who serves as the group facilitator. What has impacted Khrysta the most? Simone’s transparency about her own life and journey, the way she listens without judgment, and her gift of discernment to get to core issues.

Does that sound like radical grace coming from a church group? Khrysta thinks so. Over and over again, she thanked the congregation for opening it’s doors, sharing the difference the group has made (and continues to make) for her and her daughter Jada.

Khrysta & Jada's Story from Caris on Vimeo.

Then Khrysta shared the story of another young woman who recently joined the group. “I have been so ashamed to tell anyone in my church that I’m pregnant. All I could do was pray. When I found out this group existed at a church, I felt like it had to be God.”

I was conflicted.

I was thrilled that this young woman found the group at The Moody Church. Khrysta and Simone have been encouraging her to dream again and I know she has a wonderful future ahead of her.

But I was sad that she was so surprised to find a group like this at a church.

And to be honest, a little angry.

Who promotes Sanctity of Human Life Sunday every year? Primarily churches. Who is at the forefront of the movement to decrease abortions, limit them and make them illegal? Many Christians. And yet we don’t have groups in our churches for women who face unplanned pregnancy? We’ve failed to create a culture where women can say, “I’ll go to my church for support. I know I’ll find grace there.”

Do you know what happens when a woman feels ashamed to go to her church (or her family or friends) with an unexpected pregnancy? She often feels like her only options are to have an abortion in secret or to resign herself to experience shame and scarcity as a single mom.

Neither of those options are God’s heart for her – or for her child.

We have an amazing opportunity to create a third option. That’s what ProGrace does. It demonstrates grace instead of shame, support instead of scarcity. It helps a woman see that there is a way for her to have her child and follow her dreams. And it offers her unconditional grace, no matter what decisions she has made or will ever make.

ProGrace is rooted in God’s grace. And His grace is nothing short of radical. Every mistake we ever make, every shortcoming we ever have, every sin we ever commit is paid for by the Son of God on the cross. I get choked up just thinking about it. And in my gratitude, I want to show that same grace to women who think the only thing they will find when facing an unplanned pregnancy is judgment.

That’s still my dream for Sanctity of Human Life Sunday – and every Sunday.

by Angie Weszely, CEO & Co-Founder of ProGrace

@angieweszely