What if we had more Christians working in abortion clinics?

It’s a scandalous question, but when I have shied away from a little controversy? There’s a song by Ani Difranko that tells of her abortion. She describes the picket lines of people yelling at her, and the cost and pain of the abortion procedure. It’s a very moving song, but one of the lines grips like no other.

“she offered her hand for me to hold
she offered stability and calm
and I was crushing her palm
through the pinch pull wincing
my smile unconvincing
on that sterile battlefield that sees
only casualties
never heros
my heart hit absolute zero
Lucille, your voice still sounds in me
mine was a relatively easy tragedy.”

It builds a haunting mental picture. Ani remembers two sets of people from that day: the Christians protesting her right to choose and the gentle woman who held her hand throughout the procedure.

Now that you see where the question comes from let’s get to the question. What if Christians weren’t the ones spewing hate, holding picket signs? What if Lucille had been a Christian? What if Ani had left that clinic with an understanding that Christians are caring, deeply compassionate people? Ani Difranko saw the venomous unloving side of Christianity on her way into that building, but what if the woman holding her hand had explained to her the grace and forgiveness of Christ?

It’s a scandalous question; but it’s also a scandalous grace.