Last night news of a massive shift in our nation leaked – the likely overturning of Roe v. Wade. As we are dedicated to women, I wish to share a few words of support to all our sisters and a few words of caution.
First and foremost, let this be a day of compassion. Ultimately, this is a deeply personal situation rooted in a multitude of life experiences, hopes, traumas, disappointments, tragedies, and every other dimension of the human condition. This is never merely an ‘issue’ – this is always about people and I think we can forget that as debates rage in social media, marches occur in our streets, and conversation occurs around coffee stations at work.
There are those in the pro-life movement for whom abortion is a passionate issue, a cause they view as fundamental. If you are celebrating this decision on social media or in your conversations, be aware of your words and your tone. You do not know the story of the people around you. Remember we are followers of Christ who always acted with the utmost compassion and mercy to everyone. This is not a day for triumphalism.
Let us also be honest with ourselves about the deeply immoral state laws that now will exist without contest. The state laws that are such that even an entropic pregnancy cannot be ended, a pregnancy that will kill the mother and child. A situation Catholic ethics note requires action to save the life of the mother. The fact that miscarriages are criminalized and women have already been arrested. This is not a day for triumphalism.
We need to also remember that this opens a door for other unenumerated rights to be dismissed – the right for interfaith and interracial marriages, the right to privacy. The vast majority of those things which we take for granted and which we believe to be part of our quintessential American freedoms are unenumerated rights. This is not a day for triumphalism.
When I recruited pieces for May, I knew we would talk about motherhood – including the difficulties, injustices, and social realities. I never anticipated this would fold into the discussion. If you have thoughts you would like to share, your story, your fears and hopes – please reach out to us via the site or email (jennifer@wisdomsdwelling.com). We are always more than willing to keep posts and reflections anonymous.