Now in Joppa, there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. At that time, she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs.
So, Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, "Tabitha, get up." Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up.
Acts 9
Peter, the Rock on which Jesus builds his church - travels to Joppa to see a gentile apostle named Tabitha, prays for her. and raises her from the Dead.
Jairus’ daughter, the hemorrhaging woman, the Samaritan woman at the well, Mary and Martha, and Mary again all benefit from Jesus’ healing in his earthly ministry. Lydia and Junia, both apostles of Saint Paul, are leaders in the early Church after having their own encounters with Christ’s salvific love.
Tabloid Christianity might have you forget the voice of these early women theologians and apostles, but they are not forgotten to the Church or to God. Perhaps now as much as ever we need those voices in our midst as we process the anger, uncertainty, worry, and fear around the likely overturning of Roe v. Wade and the subsequent criminalization of abortion in much of the United States. So, is God Pro-Life? Pro-Choice? Agnostic? Abstaining?
God is the creator and redeemer of all humankind, of course, God is pro-life, though not in the narrow, small way it is defined in our public discourse. For God is pro ABUNDANT life, in all of its fullness. In her book Pro-Choice and Christian, the Rev. Kira Austin-Young talks about the need to seek abundant life for all. “A Consistent pro-life Christian ethic should have as much to say about every death-dealing, anti-flourishing scenario as it does about abortion…a consistent pro-life ethic would be as concerned with the quality of life of any particular child as it is with that child’s birth, and we need a broader conversation on what that looks like.”(Austin-Young. 92)
I am a pro-abundant-life Christian, which means that I acknowledge that people of faith have a responsibility to support the fullness of life for all of humanity, not just those in the womb. That there are times and reasons and seasons where a woman may not be able to bear a child; these moments are heartbreaking, but they are not prevented or ameliorated by outlawing abortion. If anything they are made worse.
As priest and pastor, I would like to offer a few prayerful reflections in this most tender time.
No matter what the Supreme Court does or does not do - our responsibility as people of faith does not change. It is to care for the lost, to bind up the broken, to lift up the lowly. A repeal of Roe v. Wade will not dissolve the need for abortions, nor will it resolve the economic, social and societal pressures that make abortions a reality. Theologians, politicians and others can pretend that this is the case– but we should know better.
Jesus calls us to care for each other, to find Christ in each other. To love, first and foremost. To pray for those who are lost and need to be brought closer to God. There are many who need our prayers today.
Those who would demand a child be born while celebrating removing the safety net that allows that child to flourish are very lost indeed, very far from Christ. And so I pray for those celebrating today.
Those who have endured abortions, proudly, quietly, or sadly, find themselves judged today in the public square by people who claim to speak for Christ. And so I pray for those mourning today.
Those who support women and families making these most difficult decisions, providing care, counseling, support, and love - often while their own lives are threatened by radicals on the other side - are hurting today. And so I pray for the helpers today.
Those who don’t know what to say, who are scared to say anything for fear they won’t be able to hold it together, or are terrified of what someone they love will say in response are lonely and scared right now. And so I pray for the isolated and alone today.
Those who have quietly led lives of grace and dignity living out God’s call of abundant life, discouraging abortions while also providing food, shelter, job training, support and love for mothers and young families. Who sit vigil at execution chambers and write thousands of letters asking for clemency, for release to the captives, for an end to the death penalty. And so I pray for those who have the courage to live out the fullness of their convictions today.
Our public discourse is so broken that it is almost impossible to hold a public opinion on abortion that is not at one end of two extremes. And so I pray for all of us today.
A lot can happen in a few months, nothing from the Supreme Court yet is final and the various motivations and strategies being used to fight this battle are mostly unknown to you and me. And so I pray that cooler heads prevail today.
But mostly I pray for you. And me. For ears to listen to the voices of female saints and theologians past and present; For hearts to embrace those we love and those we disagree with and sometimes those are the same people; For legs to carry us forward; and For arms to pick each other up when we falter. So that we may all come eternal, abundant life with Christ our savior.