This morning I listened to Trent Horn’s discussion with a pro-choice college student on his podcast. It was a pleasure to hear how two people on opposing sides could have a rational discussion on such a hot-button issue, such as abortion. I encourage you to listen to it. 

While I was listening to this on this Holy Thursday, the day we remember Jesus washing His Apostles’ feet, this Scripture verse came to mind: 

So when He had washed their feet and put His garments back on and reclined at table again, He said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master’, and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do. 

“…as I have done for you, you should also do.” Jesus commanded His Apostles to do as He did. Washing feet back in those days was not a job a king would do, so I’m sure it surprised His followers He was doing this. In fact, Peter didn’t even want Him to do it at first. Feet are dirty and they aren’t one of those body parts we like to flaunt. Typically we want to hide our feet. 

So how does this relate to abortion? 

An unplanned pregnancy is not something a woman is going to go around telling everyone about. They are going to want to hide it. Shame and fear are the biggest reason a woman would do this. In the podcast episode, the young woman explains that she received hundreds of messages from women thanking her for standing up for legal abortion in her tweet because if they were faced with an unwanted pregnancy, they would want to either hurt themselves or commit suicide. If this is true, then we have a problem.

Why would a woman resort to such a thing?

Maybe it’s because we aren’t washing each other’s feet.

One of our members of Charles County Right to Life, Jennifer Crispell, included the following in her reflection on a day spent at the College of Southern Maryland campus where she was able to hear and speak to college students. ​

How we care for the hurting directly effects the willingness some are to consider abortion.  Sure, you and I think…bad conditions are no reason to not be given the right to live!  I certainly agree!  But there is a lesson in this – what are we doing for those who are hurting?

We can’t all take in foster children…but more of us can.  We can’t all adopt…but more of us can.  We can’t all work or volunteer at a pregnancy center…but more of us can.  Part of James 1:27 says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress….”  Apparently, hesitant pro-choicers are watching too.