Right to Love

I listened to an old Bishop's Best sermon CD on the way to work today. This CD was from Pro Life Sunday in 2003. This particular sermon had a very interesting conclusion. Bishop Adler read the sermon of Bishop Fiske (Ficke?) in Michigan, and it gave examples of three women who had abortion/baby issues. One of those examples turned out to be Bishop Fiske's daughter, who had been date raped at the age of 25, and went on with her family and church support to continue the pregnancy.

Essentially, Bishop Adler prepped the congregation of St. Michael's to love mothers who may be in difficult circumstances. He said he would be the first one in line to accept and comfort unwed teenagers. In a church with as many youth as St. Michael's, there are bound to be tough situations happening. And knowing that, and preparing the congregation to do the same, will save babies. That's one of the things I love about the CEC - acceptance and love of the whole person, and showing and extending God's grace. Hoping for the best, but accepting the fallen.

Our hands-on love and support to mothers in distress will be more effective than picketing, walking, or other "right to life" activities. Telling teens that if they've made a mistake it's OK, we will still love them and will help them to keep or to launch their babies into another loving family will make a local change and have real results.

This is a pretty hard attitude to promote when trying to keep teenage girls from getting pregnant (especially those in your own household :-)). It's so the right thing to do, however. I will love and accept, and help, whatever person ends up in this situation. It's God's merciful way. Those babies have a right to life, and it is right to love their mothers.