This past Sunday, our national calendar acknowledged the value of motherhood. According to one report, Mother’s Day sees the highest call volume out of any day of the year. Cards, flowers and candy flew off the shelves and many churches, including ours, paused to recognize those who bore us. According to 1 Timothy 5 children and even grandchildren are under an obligation to honor their mothers and the church is to recognize those who fulfill this role within their congregations. Motherhood is honored by God in Scripture and has traditionally been honored in this nation as well.
But this same nation that honors motherhood on paper, also legalized abortion. Only a few days after Mother’s Day, I stood with a group of believers outside of a Planned Parenthood in Baltimore pleading with mothers not to end their child’s life. Within the first five minutes of arriving I saw 5-6 women enter the “clinic” and the stream never stopped.
According to a Baltimore Sun article, Maryland had the third highest abortion rate among the states in 2005 (the year that the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene stopped collecting abortion statistics). The breakdown by jurisdiction reveals that Baltimore City is driving those deadly numbers, and also that the abortion rate among African-American women is at least triple the white rate.
It was an emotional experience and I thank God for the opportunity that we had to shine the light of the gospel in such a dark corner of our city.
Would you be praying for the following?
- Pray for Christians who minister outside of these abortion providers and that God would strengthen them. It is difficult work.
- Pray for places we support like the Center for Pregnancy Concerns and that women would choose the alternatives to abortion
- Pray for wisdom for our church as we consider what else we can be doing to stand for righteousness
- Pray for the spread of the gospel, which is the only hope for the people of our city.
- Pray for the mothers of our church and that they would recognize the great joy, honor and privilege of motherhood
Happy Mothers Day again to the mothers of BBC!
In Christ Alone,
Pastor George
Pastor Matt
