Response to the Overturning of Roe v. Wade

St. Augustine’s Chapel is in full support of safe, timely, affordable, and accessible abortion for all who want or require this valuable healthcare service.

This statement is consistent with the statements of our denominational partners, the Episcopal Church (62nd General Convention, 1967) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (2nd Convention, 1991). If you would like to discuss this further, please feel free to reach out to me.

As for my personal response, I’ve tried a hundred times to write something that is reasonable, inspirational, or anything in any way useful but there’s not much to say honestly. Removing the right to privately consult with one’s physician and receive appropriate medical care is unconscionable.

There is nothing I can say that can make this moment better. I want to say it’s not the end of the world, but for some people this is the end of their world, and in all honesty, the end of their life. This will be the death of untold numbers of people who need this particular kind of medical care. Those with means will get the care they need and those who don’t will face impossible decisions. I’m reminded of the passage in Leviticus, just three verses before “Love your neighbor as yourself”:
You shall not render an unjust judgement; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor (Lev 19.15).
An unjust judgment has been made against the poor, and lest we fall into another sin, against communities of color. Once again, white, male, Christian supremacy has inflicted untold suffering on women, others with uteruses, and black and brown bodies. People like me, white, Christian, and male, have never learned the lesson of the crucifixion: we are to take on ourselves, and even on our own bodies if needs be, the suffering of the world. We are not to inflict the suffering.

What I can say is that we are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We can restore the dignity of those who are now being treated as second class citizens. People like me can learn our lesson. It will take time, but we will get there.

I love you, and I am here for you. Whatever I can do for you, I will do.

Grace and Peace,
Rob