Dear New Life Family,

As we navigate the perilous waters of what has happened in recent days in both NY and VA, let us never forget that we are forever, first and foremost, people of the cross. The immense value and preciousness of human life is an issue that we must not allow political parties to hijack, though they try. Our allegiance doesn’t belong to the Republican Party or to the Democratic Party, but to the Kingdom of Heaven. We should mourn the tragic decisions being made that devalue human life. Decisions that will undoubtedly lead to the barbaric and senseless deaths of untold numbers of babies created in the very image of God. But we must do more than simply mourn, or rail on social media.

As the people of Jesus, we must actively engage injustice in our culture. These issues of injustice include everything from poverty, homelessness, racism, human sex trafficking and yes, the threat against the God-granted right of every human being—born and unborn—to life. We can combat this particular injustice in several practical ways beyond pleading with God from our knees (which is where we must always start). Firstly, we can partner with pregnancy support services like Mountain Area Pregnancy Services that provide women who find themselves with an unexpected or unwanted pregnancy with real and practical alternatives to abortion. As a church family, we invest thousands of dollars into MAPS every single year, and we’ll be looking for ways to increase that support in the days ahead. Secondly, as believers, we ought to consider how we might be involved in adoption and foster care. Perhaps, God will call some of us to invite a precious child in need of a home into our hearts and lives. We can also come alongside and support those who are answering the call of adoption or foster care in practical ways. Finally, we can and should champion laws that protect all human life and speak out in a gracious manner against laws which do not.

All of this must be bathed in compassion and love. Paul reminds us in Ephesians that our battle isn’t against flesh and blood. It’s against the kingdom of darkness and its rulers in the spiritual realm. Politicians are not our enemies. People who have experienced the tragedy of abortion are not our enemies. Satan and his kingdom are. Although many women have found love and compassion in the church, far too many women who have walked the tragic path of abortion have found little but judgment and vitriol in the church of Jesus Christ. Like lepers without a home, they’ve often found the coldness of the world to be a warmer landing place than being with God’s people. That’s a shame. The Bride of Jesus should be the safest place on earth for sinners of every stripe and flavor. The beauty of the gospel is that, in Jesus, grace is offered to us all. May we lead with love and live with compassion as we fight injustice and speak for those who cannot. And may our lives paint a compelling and beautiful picture of the coming Kingdom of Jesus. For the sake of the born, the not-yet born and the glory of our King…may we be found faithful until His coming.

-Pastor Chris