Many years ago, I came across an article that still has relevance today. The author was pointing out the contradiction within pro-life groups spending priorities. Which in most cases, but not all, is those of us with a Christian orientation.
The writers comments raised the question of how much help and support the dollars spent on legal fees and events could provide if utilized a different way.
The disturbing aspect of this article to me was not the hard questions being raised by the author but the comments by many "Christians" following the article.
Why is so hard to look at ourselves when someone raises a concern or points a finger? To enter into the soul search and ask, "is this correct?" Sadly, it is the ever lingering aroma of sin - our pride and self-centeredness. Just yesterday I had a conversation with someone after they expressed that my communication had been hurtful. After initially responding defensively, I then tried to listen and explained my perspective as I saw it and eventually we ended the conversation.
Then the Holy Spirit began working on me and showed me that it really wasn't as clean as I had painted it. Yes, some of what I explained to the person was accurate, but not completely accurate. The edge in my voice which they had picked up and which had been hurtful did indeed come from the hardness of my own heart. Now I must wrestle with my pride and confess this to the person I was talking with. My own nature is alive and well and I once again I must turn to Jesus for His loving grace.
In the case of this article, they have a valid point and we should think about it. Let me explain further. Let's pick a time where Christian political activism really exploded, say 1979 when Jerry Falwell founded the Moral Majority. If we then step back and sincerely look at the level of cultural change, toward a more Christian ethos, that has been achieved since that time, we would have to say, virtually none. In fact surveys and research by Gallup, Barna and others tells us the opposite; we are actually less Christian culturally than we were in 1979. We are losing the cultural war. Now, if we calculated the dollars that were spent in all of this time on the political and cultural fight, it would be staggering. Perhaps hundreds of millions of dollars or more.
What could have been done with that money instead? That is the whole point of the article. When people challenge us with facts, and we write inflammatory responses and comments, we just magnify their skepticism and ridicule. Could we as Christian's and pro-lifers, be doing a better job with stewarding our resources? When Jesus gave us the parable of the Good Samaritan. the Samaritan didn't run to the local officials and start complaining about lawlessness and their lack of effort to catch the bad guys. They didn't start organizations to change the government and political structures of their day. The Samaritan simply took upon himself the burden of the lost and broken man. Just as our Savior has taken on Himself the brokenness of us all, so he has told to do as He did. To walk as He walked and love as He loved.
Just as the Holy Spirit exposed my own pride and heart issues yesterday, these issues will be laid completely bare when we stand before Jesus. Yes, those who have trusted him will have our salvation, but our works, what we have done as a result of this great salvation, will be exposed as well. I Cor. 3:10-15 and II Cor. 5:9-10 makes this very clear. When we stand before Jesus and give an account for the "deeds done in the body" will He applaud our political and organizational efforts. The millions spent on buildings and programs that make us as believers, "feel" like we are doing His work. Or will the Holy Spirit simply remind us of the Good Samaritan and whisper the words, "but did you this".
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