Today, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Just a cursory glance at the news today will bring you to any number of articles about the case. Here’s an article from Baptist Press that details what is going on today. And here is an excellent article by Nathan Finn for the Biblical Recorder on a Christian response about being pro-life.

My devotional reading today included Micah 6. In that powerful little prophetic book is one of the clearest expectations from God to his people. This verse provides some principles for thinking, praying, and acting in response to the many issues surrounding the case before the Supreme Court today.

He has told you, O man, what is good;
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
    and to walk humbly with your God?

Micah 6:8

The Lord requires that we do justice. To do justice means that we treat people fairly and that we work to protect and defend those without the power to defend themselves. Biblical justice applies to abortion. I believe there are only two logical times when it could be argued that life occurs: at conception or at birth. Any other time is logically inconsistent. Because conception is a gift from the Lord (see Psalm 139:13), I believe that life occurs at conception. If so, Christians with a biblical worldview must conclude that taking the life of a baby in the womb is murder and breaks God’s commandment in Exodus 20:13. Thus, to do justice for the unborn is to provide protections for them using the law. It is right that followers of Jesus should pray that the Supreme Court would recognize the Roe v. Wade ruling as unconstitutional. It is right that we should take action pursuing justice for the defenseless.

The Lord requires that we love kindness. Kindness in Micah 6:8 is the Hebrew word hesed. It is a word full of meaning that reflects loyalty, kindness, and goodness. God’s people are to be good to others and faithful and loyal in our interactions with them. In some ways, this indicates the tone and attitude we should have. It is right and just that we should pray fervently and even seek passionately justice for the unborn. And yet our pursuit of righteous action should be governed by an attitude of loving-kindness. We can be right without be mad about being right. As God’s people we will interact with people on different sides of the political aisle. We will interact with mothers who have had abortions. We will have the opportunity to take the orphan and unexpected children into our homes. As fervently as we pray for and seek justice, we must also adopt an attitude of mercy and compassion for those who are broken and sinful. Our model here is Christ whose lovingkindness led him to the cross to experience justice on our behalf and to treat us with lovingkindness even in our sinful condition.

The Lord requires that we walk humbly with him. The more we see God and know God through his self-revelation in the Bible, the more we should be humble before him. He is great, glorious, and majestic. And even the lives we have and the opportunities we get to serve him are not about us. Our actions that seek justice and our attitudes that exhibit lovingkindness must flow from a relationship where we are walking humbly with the Lord.

So here are some ways we can apply Micah 6:8 to being pro-life:

• Pray for the Supreme Court as they hear the oral arguments and rule on them in the coming year. Pray that the justices will act with biblical justice.
• Be active in pursuing justice for the defenseless and broken by supporting a crisis pregnancy center or participating in a right to life campaign. Wilkes county commissioners recently adopted a resolution to be a county that will pursue legal means to end abortion.
• Consider fostering or adoption. Being pro-life means that we should seek justice for the unborn as well as homes for the orphan and those in the foster care system.
• Commit to being Christ-like in your attitude and demeanor. This issue is a hotly debated political topic. The rhetoric can be full of angst and anger. Let us be right not only in our position, but also our demeanor toward those with whom we may disagree.

Photo by Maria Oswalt on Unsplash