ProLife Conversations
About a month ago I had the privilege of attending the second annual Celebrate Life Weekend in DC, celebrating the second anniversary of Roe v Wade being overturned, and rallying together to give marching orders and encouragement to continue fighting in this new chapter and season of the prolife movement.
One aspect of the weekend was a rally in front of the Lincoln Memorial, and there were a few pro-abortion individuals present as well holding signs. One of these individuals was a man who held a sign that said, “Keep Abortion Legal,” and I got the chance to join a conversation with him and several other pro-lifers. I love being able to engage in conversation with others, especially those who are on the opposite side.
One thing I’ve learned over the last several years, when engaging in conversation with someone, whether on the topic of abortion or really anything else, intently listening is super important and asking questions is another great tool to use in conversation.
One thing I implore the prolife movement to do better as a whole is to listen well in conversation and allow people to say their piece and seek to understand their thought process. I’ve seen this done well and I’ve seen the opposite.
From the conversation I was a part of in DC, it occurred to me that in some conversations you may say less and listen more, and in other conversations it may be the very opposite, and both are okay.
More than trying to persuade people in each conversation to be pro-life and value life and change their position of being pro-abortion in all cases, we want to plant seeds of truth. The truth of abortion, the value of all life from womb to tomb, and more importantly the truth of the Gospel. The prayer is that seeds are planted and that they come to the truth and see abortion for what it is, and come to Christ, ultimately.
In conversations, especially with those who are passionately pro-abortion, we should be praying during the conversation and asking God to give us the words to say that it might be a productive conversation and that seeds are planted.
Every conversation we may have with pro-abortionists will be different. For some they don’t actually have a strong stance for abortion but are simply influenced by culture. Others are passionately pro-abortion, whether they seem to actually celebrate and embrace that abortion is the intentional killing of a human life and seemingly do not care, or they don’t truly understand the gravity of abortion and argue the oh so famous point of “women being able to choose what they want to do with their own bodies.” Some simply don’t understand either side very well and just need a little education. And still others are hurt and confused women who just simply don’t want to struggle as a single mother and want to give their child a good life, or just feel like they don’t have the support they would need.
The prolife movement is about giving actual help, support, a listening ear and love to women, so that should be reflected in the conversations we have and how we conduct those conversations, whether they are conversations with a pregnant woman, a father, an abortion worker or volunteer, an aggressive pro-abortion individual, etc.
At the heart of every conversation should be love. God’s love for that individual. And out of that love comes respect, a heart of understanding, care, and a sense of compassion or concern for that person to come into the truth. The truth about how the abortion industry is full of lies and how abortion hurts women, children and tears apart families. And the truth of the gospel, that they stand in need of a Savior and that salvation through Jesus Christ is available.
I pray that God will equip us all to have productive conversations. Seasoned with grace, love, truth and wisdom. Conversations where we learn how to truly listen well and know when and how to impart seeds of truth. And how to stay prayed up and pray throughout the conversation that God’s Spirit might move mightily and change hearts and minds like only He can.
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