I am sure that most of you are well acquainted with the Planned Parenthood sting videos by now.  And while there are so many things that I keep meaning to write about, this subject is just so heavy right now that it seems silly to write about anything else.

So here I am again, wanting to express how deeply grateful I am for this opportunity. So thankful for the heaviness. For the angry responses we see from friends who don’t agree with us. So thankful for the mercy of this opportunity. Thankful to see other Christians emboldened to speak out. To name this wickedness for what it is , an offense against a Holy God.

Abortion has been legal in the US for my entire life. It has been something of a pagan national symbol for us, and in spite of all the efforts of pro-lifers, it has maintained a protected status. We could picket outside of the city walls and be sad about what was happening inside of those city walls,  but did any of us ever really expect to breach those city walls? And yet here, with these sting videos, a huge hole was blown in the wall , and surprised though we all were, this is our chance to flood through that gap.

Abortion is not some fringe issue in our country, and that is why I  think the question of whether or not to join in this fight is not really optional for Christians.  Abortion is the centerpiece of our culture’s pagan idolatry in the same way that the Lord’s table is the centerpiece of our faith. We partake of human sacrifice too. We know that we need human sacrifice too. We are people who do not have blood on our hands, but instead have been washed in the blood of another. We are clean, but it is not because there has not been blood. We are clean only because of The Blood.

So this discussion that has been somewhat forced upon us (whether we welcomed it enthusiastically or with a pit in our stomachs). This is our great Gospel moment. This is our chance to declare to our country, to our Facebook friends, to our pro-choice acquaintances, “Not that altar, but this one. Not that death, but instead Christ’s. Not that bloodshed, but this one. Not that fellowship that you are seeking through sexual liberty, but the true liberty of fellowship and communion with God.”

If you have started sharing articles about this, or changed your profile picture, or in any way made it plain that you are pro-life, chances are good that you have already received some kind of blow back. And that is wonderful. You are taking your opportunities to go door to door in the city and ask people if they have heard the Good News. Don’t be afraid of their anger. Understand what it means for them. If they admit that this centerpiece of their faith is a guilty one, they will have to face far more truth than that. They want to believe that this is their righteousness, that they are compassionate. They want to think that the blood on this altar is acceptable. If they admit what seems obvious to us, that this is actually wicked, then they will be facing the need for a savior. But in reality, facing the need for a savior is facing the reality of damnation. Facing death. Facing guilt. Facing everlasting sorrow. They will be facing the terrifying need for a perfect blood sacrifice that can cleanse them even of this.

For all of us, this is a heavy burden. This is an emotionally draining issue. And it is our privilege to join in carrying it. Thanks be to God for that! We cannot possibly carry it on an emotional high – or with human anger – or with endless weeping. The only way to carry this is with faithfulness. With steady, enduring faithfulness. Faithfulness to the children God has given us. Faithfulness to not be afraid when people call us hateful. Faithfulness to rejoice in the goodness of God giving us this opportunity in our generation. Faithfulness to turn the other cheek, to not be consumed with an ungodly anger, faithfulness to love our enemies, faithfulness to speak the truth.

Faithfulness to continue to worship at the table that is in the center of our faith: Jesus Christ, body broken, blood shed. His death, our salvation. His resurrection, our life. This is the one perfect sacrifice. This is the only blood that cleanses. This is our hope, our faith, our comfort, our peace, our life.

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