Our Two National Sins
Each January, we are given the opportunity to ponder our two
great national sins.
January 22 reminds us of our great national sin of
abortion. Since the Roe v. Wade decision
on January 22, 1973, we Americans have experienced over 54,000,000
abortions. My heart is burdened on several
counts. There is the tragic loss of
life. There is the untold pain experienced
by both women and men in the aftermath of abortion (how I long to tell
post-abortive women and men that there is freedom from their pain through Jesus
Christ). There is the seeming
entrenchment of the predominant view that abortion on demand is a societal
good.
The third Monday of January reminds us of our great national
sin of racism. We celebrate the birthday
and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
We are reminded again of the evils of the past—of slavery, of
segregation, of racism. We are reminded
of the remarkable history of the non-violent struggle for civil rights. We are reminded of the need to recognize that
this wound still needs healed.
On both of these issues, I have a tendency to shy away from
loving my neighbor as I love myself.
Loving my neighbor requires that I actually enter my neighbor’s
world. Am I really caring of the woman
who feels that she has no options for her unplanned pregnancy? Am I willing to love her as I love
myself? As a white person, have I tried,
really tried, to understand the challenges and difficulties that an
African-American has both historically and presently with both blatant and
subtle racism?
I was watching a television documentary on MLK day about
King’s life and work. When they got to
the Selma protests, I wept, really for the first time in my life at the sad
specter of our racist past. And then I
felt sad at myself—that I have lived so long and had not had that reaction
until now.
May God forgive me.
Galatians 5:14 “For the entire law is
fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”