Yesterday Martha visited us and presented the ministry of Rachel's Vineyard at both our congregational services (our two locations have start times of 10:00 am and 10:30 so she just needed a 20 - 25 minute cab ride to share with both groups). Martha is an American physician who spoke eloquently about the damage abortions do to the psyche and soul of millions of women (and of course sometimes physical damage). Rachel's Vineyard is now functioning in 41 countries including Vietnam bringing hope and help to thousands of women. I have been told by an NGO official working in the area of Aids/HIV that the average for Vietnamese women age 35 is 2&1/2 abortions. We thank God for all who minister to women post-abortion and for all who work to lower the rate of abortions.
As Martha mentioned, abortions are not always (or not often) simply the free choice of a woman who does not want a child. Depending on her situation she may feel great pressure from a boyfriend, her husband, family members, government policies, etc.
Somewhat related to the above is the reminder and example in the book of Nehemiah; we need to care and to work at so many levels to help those caught in cycles of defeat, of poverty and of injustice.
Thousands of Jewish exiles banded together under Ezra's leadership to take the long and dangerous journey back to Jerusalem. They must have shared many interesting experiences during their four month journey. They arrived back in Judea and in the ruins of Jerusalem with so much in common: shared Jewish ethnicity; shared language; shared beliefs; similar experiences from decades in Babylon; common enemies and the common challenge of building a new life in their homeland.
Under Nehemiah's leadership, 15 years later they engage in the common task of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem to provide defence for what had been a vulnerable city.
But at some point during Nehemiah's 12 years there in Jerusalem, he became aware of a very sad situation. In spite of all they enjoyed in common, great inequality had developed in Judea among the Jewish people. Some complained that their families could not get enough to eat. Others shared that they had to mortgage their fields and their homes. Some, unable to pay their taxes had borrowed money at high interest rates; the worst off had been forced to sell their children into slavery.
It was evident that while some of the Jews were wealthy and prospering, others of their fellow citizens had become poor, vulnerable and disadvantaged.
When Nehemiah heard reports of this injustice he grew very angry. "I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials ---."
You can read the story and the end result in Nehemiah chapter 5. What a great illustration of one man's righteous anger leading an entire group (province?) to act and deal with what had become a societal problem. God cares about the poor and vulnerable - and those who grow close to Him cannot help but share that deep concern. We need more Christians channeling righteous anger into righteous action.
As Martha mentioned, abortions are not always (or not often) simply the free choice of a woman who does not want a child. Depending on her situation she may feel great pressure from a boyfriend, her husband, family members, government policies, etc.
Somewhat related to the above is the reminder and example in the book of Nehemiah; we need to care and to work at so many levels to help those caught in cycles of defeat, of poverty and of injustice.
Thousands of Jewish exiles banded together under Ezra's leadership to take the long and dangerous journey back to Jerusalem. They must have shared many interesting experiences during their four month journey. They arrived back in Judea and in the ruins of Jerusalem with so much in common: shared Jewish ethnicity; shared language; shared beliefs; similar experiences from decades in Babylon; common enemies and the common challenge of building a new life in their homeland.
Under Nehemiah's leadership, 15 years later they engage in the common task of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem to provide defence for what had been a vulnerable city.
But at some point during Nehemiah's 12 years there in Jerusalem, he became aware of a very sad situation. In spite of all they enjoyed in common, great inequality had developed in Judea among the Jewish people. Some complained that their families could not get enough to eat. Others shared that they had to mortgage their fields and their homes. Some, unable to pay their taxes had borrowed money at high interest rates; the worst off had been forced to sell their children into slavery.
It was evident that while some of the Jews were wealthy and prospering, others of their fellow citizens had become poor, vulnerable and disadvantaged.
When Nehemiah heard reports of this injustice he grew very angry. "I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials ---."
You can read the story and the end result in Nehemiah chapter 5. What a great illustration of one man's righteous anger leading an entire group (province?) to act and deal with what had become a societal problem. God cares about the poor and vulnerable - and those who grow close to Him cannot help but share that deep concern. We need more Christians channeling righteous anger into righteous action.
No comments:
Post a Comment