something worse than abortion

the untouchables series at church have been interesting and engaging, to say the least. they were on racism, homosexuality, abortion and church and state. a step away from the week-to-week exegetical preaching we're used to, the topical talks have been a good point for engagement with the community.

the angle that wasn't looked at, at least explicitly, was from the perspective of retrieval ethic. mainly associated with (i think) Reinhold Niebuhr (but also Michael Hill of Moore College), it's looking at questions that would, should be open and shut, were we living in a perfect world.

but since we aren't, questions such as "war", are actually not as simple as "war's bad", because, using the paradigm of the retrieval ethic, there may be "worse things than war", such as (to use the Niebuhr example) Hitler ruling the world! that is not to say there should be no boundaries, no rules of engagement, no limits - but that pacifism isn't necessarily the answer, as so many who quote John 18:36 may claim:

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”

likewise, i think the same may apply to the question of abortion. we see the "right to lifers" coming to blows with the "pro-choicers", in much the same way as pacifists come at the warmongers.

it's not about the 3rd way or the middle path; rather accepting doing the best we can in this fallen world to be compassionate, merciful and just, recognising that we are under God.


anything we can therefore do is not going to reverse the curse, nor should that be in our minds.

1 Chronicles 29:11-12 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.
Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.