According to most Supreme Court historians, a majority of justices had voted in 1992 to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, with Chief Justice William Rehnquist writing the majority opinion. But sometime between the initial vote and publication of the opinion, Justice Anthony Kennedy got cold feet and switched his vote. His became the decisive voice in preserving the judicially imposed "right" to kill unborn children with impunity.
That's one reason why I'm hesitant to express any confidence that the jaw-dropping news that Politico reported last night is true. But let's assume it is. Let's assume for a moment that the unprecedented news leak is accurate, and the current Supreme Court really is going to overturn their own constitutionally specious policy. I have a few initial thoughts for my fellow Christians…
First, believers should praise God.
Any heart surrendered and mind transformed to Christ's cannot help but rejoice at the news that millions of His worthy and beloved creations will be spared the abortionist's suction hose. Countless faithful Christians have prayed for an end to this moral atrocity, and it is entirely appropriate and necessary to praise the Judge of the World for His faithfulness in answering them.
Second, pray now more than ever. Specifically, my heart is drawn immediately to lift up before the throne of God:
- The thousands of women with unplanned pregnancies whose sense of desperation, panic, and fear will only be heightened by this news. Pray that God brings them comfort in the presence of His caring, generous church, that will offer reassurance, physical, emotional, and financial support. Pray that the deception that has been ingrained in their minds – the lie that abortion is a harmless medical procedure that offers a quick fix to their problem – will be melted away by the miracle of new life and motherhood.
- The church and its soon-to-be primary mission field to care for, nurture, and provide support to new mothers who have been mistreated and cast aside by unscrupulous men who have relied on abortion to alleviate them from their own responsibilities. Pray that God breaks the temptation to regard the overturning of Roe as a "completed task," and replaces that spirit with one of aggressive determination to love and care for the vulnerable.
- An ungodly culture that will rebel in potentially violent ways to this news. No one needs to spill much ink in providing evidence that ours is a society that has rejected moral authority. We are the quintessential Genesis 3 culture, with millions claiming to be gods of our own little universes. For such people to be told they are not free to do something – even something as shocking as dismembering preborn babies – it will cause a backlash. With barricades already being ordered up at the Supreme Court building, and a population that increasingly lacks any moral restraint, it's not difficult to imagine how ugly this could be. Pray for peace.
Speculation is swirling, the anxiousness of half our country is equaled by the anxieties of the other. In the midst of these tumultuous times, may it be that in all things God is glorified.
