Since Evangelical Christianity has increased its political clout in the last decade it has gotten really good at telling our culture what is wrong with it. Oh yes, there is plenty wrong. But maybe moral self-righteous indignation on OUR part only adds to that stinky sin pile.

Anyhow, I was pleased when a friend of mine returned from a statewide prayer meeting recently where she heard a different message. One of the speakers said that it is not good enough for us to point fingers at sinners unless we are willing to provide solutions. He used the example of abortion.

We may picket and rant and challenge laws and judge those who get abortions but it is pretty much useless unless we are willing to provide an alternative to those who choose abortion out of a sense of hopelessness. Some women are in such dire circumstances that abortion feels like the only solution.

He gave these suggestions for real ways to prevent abortion: be willing to adopt; take in a pregnant mother; volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center or provide finances for a woman who cannot carry a pregnancy without some help.

It reminds me of what James says: “If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,’ and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?” (James 2:16)

Yes, what use is that? Abortion is a scourge on our society and we need to grieve over it like God does. But if we want to stamp it out we can’t just say: Be warmed! Have a nice day!