The first thing I check out in the morning isn’t the news or social media, so it wasn’t until about halfway through staff meeting when someone asked, “Have you heard they’re over turning Roe vs. Wade?” We talked about the leaked opinion, the history of that original decision and how this new decision might affect the Value Them Both amendment in Kansas and then turned back to our agenda for the meeting. It wasn’t until the evening that I reluctantly opened up Twitter to see what “everyone” was saying. I took a deep breath and started to scroll… I heard from politicians that 71% of Americans want Roe vs. Wade upheld and I wondered, “Can that be true?” I read that my opinion, as a middle aged man, didn’t matter on this subject. I grimaced at the course and hurtful language used by many denigrating various opinions. I read an article written by a “progressive Christian” proclaiming that “conservative Christians” must be stopped because they are ruining individual lives and the country as a whole. It was at this point that I turned the iPad off and prayed.

Father,

I hate this. I hate that we’ve so lost track of your plan for marriage, sex, and families that abortion is viewed as a necessity in our world. My heart breaks for mothers, those who dream of being mothers, those who would have been mothers but for the miscarriage, still birth, abortion or other complication or situation I can’t imagine. I can’t really understand how this debate affects you. I remember the loss of my own daughter and how my heart ached not only for that lost life but also because I couldn’t really know what Cherie, my wife, was going through. I’m praying for everyone who is mourning again every time this debate is raised.

I hate that our world is so polarized that even your followers are divided into groups like progressive and conservative. I hate that we shout at each other accusing one another of loving you less. I am disheartened when your Church is drug through the mud described as old fashioned, science hating and even bigoted.

I hate that we so readily trade the freedom we can experience in Jesus, from sin and the weight  of that sin for the perceived freedom of law. 

Please forgive me for my sins. Help your Church be a beacon of hope, love and truth.

Amen

I know there are different opinions at Wallula about this potential Supreme Court decision and things like the Value Them Both amendment in Kansas. I know that there are folks who think we didn’t do enough with our recent meeting regarding this amendment and folks who think we overstepped. As always Wallula will do everything we can to speak and live out the truth of God’s word in love. Wallula was founded on the truth of scripture and the unity of believers. I pray we will continue to exemplify these values well.

Because of Him,

Lance

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

- Psalm 139:13-16