We often think abortion happens “out there.” You know … out there in the world, and certainly not in the church. Yet reality tells us otherwise. In fact in a study conducted by Care Net found 35% of Christian women who have had an abortion indicate they are currently attending church at least once a week or more. (1) Compound that with the number of men and families having been affected by an abortion decision as well, we will find so many wounded sitting in the pews of our church each week. Yet few of them feel seen, and fewer yet have been given a life line that will open the door for hope and healing.
In Mary Comm’s book entitled Secret Sin: When God’s People Choose Abortion, she exhorts us to realize the gravity of the situation that lies within our churches. She writes:
“Sadly, most pastors, ministry leaders and others within the Church are unaware of how abortion affects the lives of those who have survived it and how many of them are filling our pews on Sunday morning, suffering in silence under a shroud of guilt and shame. Many pastors and Church leaders see the high divorce rate, the troubled marriages, depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, pornography addiction and other self-destructive behaviors plaguing their congregants, but few have recognized the deeper issue that often lies at the root of these problems: the life-altering wound left in the wake of an unresolved abortion experience – a wound that at the very least one-third of our women and an additional one-third of our men have experienced firsthand.”
Mary Comm
There isn’t an institution on the face of the earth that carries the ability to bring healing and restoration like the church can. For within its mission is the good news of the gospel and the life-changing power of the cross. The heart of the Father promises in Isaiah 43:19 (ESV), “Behold, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert.”
The Lord wants to breathe life into those suffering from the pain of a past abortion. When individuals can’t find their way through their wilderness or feel drained and empty from their desert life, God wants to step in to do a new thing in their lives. He wants to bring life and restoration and the church is the perfect messenger for this.
In the new book All Things New: Finding New Life Through Forgiveness, individuals will find the freedom that comes with walking in the forgiveness of God, learning Biblical patterns for forgiving others or seeking forgiveness from others, as well as the battle for forgiving oneself.
This is a must-read for those needing freedom from their regretful past. To order the book, click HERE.
