Speaking Up Is Only The First Step; What If Women Actually Listen And Need Help?

Speaking Up Is Only The First Step; What If Women Actually Listen And Need Help?

By Bud Shaver

Tara and I have been blessed to be working for Project Defending Life (PDL) in Albuquerque, New Mexico since July of this year. Project Defending Life is a Catholic organization and we are Christians, but not Catholic. Fr. Stephen Imbarrato, director of PDL, specifically wanted us to work with him so that we could reach out to the non-Catholic Christian community to encourage and activate them to take a peaceful stand for life. Our prayer is that God will bless our effort to end abortion in our community as we find common ground; realizing together, the devastation that abortion leaves behind, how it pushes women and couples further not closer to God. We have learned so much in just a short period of time.

I have been amazed by the willingness of people to get involved at various levels to reach out to abortion minded women and couples thanks to the leadership of Fr. Stephen. Church leaders have a great responsibility to actually take the LEAD in addressing one of the greatest injustices facing our generation; if they lead people will follow. Another reason that we need church leadership involved to end the abortion genocide is that so many Christians (usually those who have had abortions) voice all kinds of objections to whatever is being done to oppose abortion. I have learned from Fr. Stephen that he compassionately listens to their objections however, he does not allow them to hinder the outreach. I have seen abortion outreach stopped before it even got started because church leaders allowed themselves to get sucked in and swayed by congregants who have never dealt with and repented from their abortion experience.

Project Defending Life helps pregnant moms in so many ways. They offer ultrasounds, counseling, parenting classes, baby items, housing (either by putting them up in a hotel for a week until they find a more permanent place, or through their maternity home). They buy all of their moms a cell phone (if they do not already have one), they provide transportation (either a bus pass or even a car that has been graciously donated), help pay their bills, and make sure that they have food. PDL helps them find jobs or begin college classes, with the goal of ensuring these women become responsible and independent for their child. All of this requires a lot of money which is donated and set aside to meet all of these needs.

There are many parishes and individuals involved to financially support PDL to make sure that funds are available. I am amazed at how important it is to have funding to help women in difficult situations. Over the past two weeks we have had well over 10 turnarounds (women who responded to help offered by sidewalk counselors at abortion clinics) and the key factor was actually having the resources to help them. Christian churches have a lot to learn from this level of commitment and generosity in addressing the abortion holocaust in America.

Tara and I have begun reaching out to Christian churches and most of the churches first need to have a committee meeting to see if we are legit, and then another committee meeting to decide if they will get involved. They tend to side on not wanting to be taken advantage of rather than helping. Why is that? We are dealing with life and death situations; we do not have two weeks or more to help these babies scheduled for death and women in crisis. Jesus said in Luke 6:29-30, “If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.” We need to meditate on this passage and allow this verse to make us uncomfortable and challenge us.

I have learned from working for Project Defending Life that it is better to err on the side of being taken advantage of than err on the side of: “For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me…whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me. Then they will go away to eternal punishment.” Matthew 25: 42-46. Churches have a long way to go but I am hopeful that change is possible. We need church leaders and Christian individuals to re-evaluate their budgets and free up finances specifically for this urgent crisis.

I will always speak up for the most defenseless in our society (the baby in the womb fits that criteria in America). It is vital that we are at abortion clinics pleading for the life of the child scheduled for death as women enter, and we must also offer hope and forgiveness through Christ when they leave. During my time so far working for Project Defending Life, I have learned that speaking up for the pre-born child is only the first step (and not the only step); there is so much more to be done after opening our mouths. What if these women actually listened and needed our help?