Encouragement

Because I know that I serve a sovereign God, I know that it is not by “accident” that I find myself with a course writing assignment that ties in so well with the week that I have launched into the leadership team for the 40 Days for Life. I had never sat down and read Martin Luther King, Jr.’s letter from the Birmingham jail, but this is exactly what was required for my paper. Although, he was writing his letter in regards to African American civil rights, he was first and foremost a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Because of this, I truly feel that there are words that we can pull from this letter and apply to the injustice that we, as Christian pro-life advocates, stand against.

I can honestly say, for myself, that each and every time that I went out to the clinic during the last campaign I was nervous. I never had a complete sense of peace because I was always worried about what sort of confrontation might come our way that day while out there lifting up our prayers. However, these certain words from the letter helped put that in perspective somewhat “But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word “tension”. I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth”. If the “tension” that we may cause while out there changes just one persons view on this subject, I welcome the tension I might cause.

Another great point that came up while reading this letter directly refers to the situation that I have many times found myself in when having a discussion on the topic of abortion with a pro-choice person. They are always quick to remind me that it is a right protected by law in our country. To this I must sadly agree, it is indeed the law of the land. However, Martin Luther King makes a great point about law that I think can be applied to the pro-life cause. “How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law”. He also points out this chilling reality “We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was legal.”

And then there is always the struggle that I have at times at being branded as “too extreme” in my views on this subject. I cannot speak for all of you in this group, I can only speak for myself; however, this atrocity that ends the life of nearly 4,000 precious little lives daily in our country at times overwhelms me. I just don’t understand how a county that was built upon Judeo-Christian principles can abide by this practice. In his letter, Luther says this “though I was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist as I continued to think about the matter I gradually gained a measure of satisfaction from the label. Was not Jesus an extremist for love…Was Amos not an extremist for justice…Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian Gospel?” Maybe we should wear the badge of extremist with the attitude that it was placed there by Christ Himself.

It is a curious thing, the items that God uses to bring things into perspective for me sometimes. If you have never read this letter before by Martin Luther King, Jr., I would urge you to. It certainly has other points that can be used as encouragement for us in the pro-life struggle. And although I know that there may be theological difference amongst those of us in the group since we are from different denominations within the Christian faith, I would like to share words with you that help keep things in perspective for me when I am faced with criticism because of my strong Christian convictions… “Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise, so help me God” - Martin Luther. Let us remember that because we cannot do otherwise, we are being strengthened by our Almighty and Glorious God.