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Abortion—a word that, when spoken aloud, creates discomfort. Everyone’s talking about it on the news, but are we open to having meaningful discourse within our faith communities?
Reflecting on my church families over the last twenty-five years, the answer is a resounding no.
It is widely accepted that one in four women has experienced an abortion. Estimates hover around 73 million abortions performed worldwide every year, and this does not include unreported abortions. This equates to 200,000 abortions per day, impacting women, men, families, and society. In the U.S. alone, over a million abortions are performed every year. This is a significant segment of the population moving through our churches. Are American
pastors regularly talking about abortion and abortion healing resources?
The silence is deafening.
Why is there a shroud of silence over the topic of helping people heal from the impact of abortion? We have excellent support groups and resources for divorce care, grief and loss, addiction recovery, combating hunger, and much more, but why are so few
churches willing to engage on the topic of abortion healing? I empathize with church
leadership, as abortion is a difficult topic that is complex to navigate and may pose
a risk that the church might be viewed as aligning with one side of the issue or the
other. The heartbreaking reality is that when church leaders are silent on abortion, as
many as twenty-five percent of the people in the pews interpret the silence as an
unspoken directive to keep their abortion a secret.
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV) We have a real enemy who loves to
keep people stuck in the bondage of silence, secrecy, and shame. Many women share
that they felt pressure from society to have an abortion, only to feel abandoned and on
their own to deal with any aftereffects. From a spiritual perspective, consider the times
the devil whispers over people to participate in something, risky or unsafe, but once
someone has said yes, Satan quickly switches sides to become our accuser.
Though I am passionately pro-life, once a woman has an abortion, it’s in the past. Abortion often comes with unspoken consequences for the mother, father, and families for years to come. Post Abortion Stress Syndrome (P.A.S.S.) is recognized as a pattern of symptoms like PTSD that can affect many post-abortive women. Symptoms include depression, anxiety, flashbacks, nightmares, being detached or overly protective of future children, substance abuse, relational difficulties, and more. Many women and men push down the painful realities of abortion for years or even decades.
As Christians, we have the faith, hope, and love of a savior who died for all people and for all sins. Accepting the forgiveness of God after an abortion can be incredibly difficult. Even if abortion-wounded hearts come to accept the forgiveness of our merciful Savior, many refuse to forgive themselves.
Regardless of where your heart is on the topic of abortion, let us be guided by what Jesus would do. He approached the hurting, the broken, and the sinful with love and compassion. While he told them to repent and turn away, Jesus did not use shame.
“When church leadership is silent on abortion, as many as twenty-five percent of the people in the pews interpret the silence as an unspoken directive to keep their abortion a secret.”
This issue is close to my heart. After a twenty-year journey of grief and regret over a medically advised abortion within the context of marriage, I tried to find closure in my own strength without success. In 2018, God asked me to “write the story,” and in obedience, I did just that, publishing a book on the topic of abortion in the case of poor prenatal prognosis. While I wrote the book to God and to help others, the Lord blessed my obedience with deeper layers of healing
and, ultimately, the gift of self-forgiveness. I’ve been honored to meet with organizations
around the world who are helping women and families find the peace and freedom that
is possible through Christ Jesus. Thankfully, there is now a beautiful patchwork quilt of
resources available to help those struggling with a past abortion or abortions. While the church is often silent on this tender topic, time and again, I see their hearts immediately turn to compassion when they learn that someone is in need of help.
“Let us be guided by what Jesus would do. He approached the hurting, the broken, and the sinful
with love and compassion.”
Out of the deepest pain in my life, God continues the redemptive work of allowing me to help women find a safe and confidential community built on the
acceptance, love, and healing modeled by Jesus. After publishing my book, God prompted me to form a ministry called LovedMuch. We are a Christ-centered support group and healing curriculum for women seeking peace from a past abortion.
We are passionate about connecting women to well-vetted resources, retreats, and programs designed to bring them out of silence and shame and into the freedom found in the light of Jesus.
Author and speaker, Jenny Foster is passionate about helping
people move from adversity to inspiration. The Lord called her to write a book and create an abortion healing ministry called LovedMuch. She enjoys traveling, reading, mentoring,
creative writing, and Bible journaling.
You can reach Jenny at jennyfoster.org/ or author@jennyfoster.org.
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