Roe vs. Wade is overturned: Talking points to value the woman and child equally

This morning, the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, allowing each state to determine abortion laws. With this change in the legal landscape, our mandate to live out a third option approaching abortion that values the woman and child equally becomes even more critical.

I’m grateful for you and the journey we all are on to represent God’s heart more fully to our polarized society. Here are some talking points that will help us all have healing conversations in the days and weeks to come: 

• Listen and ask questions.
  People on both sides have strong opinions on this. Asking “Tell me more” or “How do you mean?” can open up conversations and promote understanding.
  
  
•  Lead with your equal value for the woman and the child.
  In December, a Supreme Court justice stated that the main problem with abortion law was that there are two interests, and one interest has to prevail over the other so that we must pick between the two. In contrast, when Jesus was confronted with two conflicting ideas, He pointed out that neither side offered a complete picture and instead gave a third Kingdom answer.
  
  His Kingdom answer to abortion is to value the woman and child equally and enter into the complexity and care required. Now more than ever, we need to be vocal about this third option and trust God to help even more Christians live it out. Our entire society is watching us.
  
  
•  Talk about the experience of unintended pregnancy.
  The panic, isolation, and shame of an unintended pregnancy cause many women to choose abortion. No law will ever change that. When we realize women's overwhelming distress, we develop greater empathy and understand the limitations of any abortion laws. When people start to realize that it’s the unintended pregnancy that’s the issue, not abortion, we can come together regardless of the law and meet those needs. 

As I continually talk with people who are being transformed to understand these points, they ask how we can ensure that we as Christians build safe communities for people to approach. Here are some ideas on how you can spread the word and invite more people into the ProGrace movement:

• Please share the link to our E-Book on social media.
  Here is a suggested post: “If you are looking to approach abortion in a non-political way that values the woman and child equally, I encourage you to read the ProGrace ebookand discover how we can build bridges in this divisive environment.”
• Talk to your church leadership about ProGrace Transform for small groups.
  Here is an online resource you can send to leaders at your church about how ProGrace Transform can help your congregation have new conversations about abortion.
• Join our prayer team.
  Just send a quick email to [email protected]and type “Prayer team” in the subject line. We send out monthly requests and answers. 

Grateful for you,