Since I was a child, one of my favorite things about Christmas was hearing the story of Christ’s birth. The imagery of the stable, the shepherds, the “heavenly host,” and the three kings captivated me. Little did I know how important this story would become in my work here at Care Net.
Christ’s birth story is important for the pro-life movement because it breaks us out of
“old ways” of thinking, and reminds us of God’s real plan not just for life, but for abundant life.
You see, Christ could have been born to a single mother. It would have fulfilled God’s purpose, but it would have violated God’s principles. That is why he did not just give Jesus a mother, but a father named Joseph who was to be a husband to Mary and a father to Jesus”¦ in that order!
Although Christ was fully God, God the Father knew that””in Christ’s humanity””Jesus needed an earthly father. That’s why God chose to give Joseph to Jesus: to remind us of the unique and irreplaceable role that husbands and fathers have in the lives of their children. So, he sent an angel not just to Mary, but to Joseph””who was considering “putting Mary away” like so many men facing unexpected or unexpectedly complicated pregnancies today””to give him a mission to be a husband and father.
Today, too many women choose abortion because the father of the child is unable or unwilling to be the husband and father God intends him to be. Think how many abortions could be prevented if we had more “Josephs” stepping up to be there for today’s “widows and orphans.”
That is why it is incumbent upon us as pro abundant life people to promote, support, and celebrate marriage as a critical way to reduce abortions and as the ideal environment in which children are to be raised, in God’s design. And it is why we pledge:
As Pro Abundant Life people, we will celebrate and encourage marriage, whenever possible for those facing unplanned pregnancies, as the ideal environment to raise thriving children.
Vision Statement:
Care Net envisions a culture where women and men faced with pregnancy decisions are transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ and are empowered to choose life for their unborn children and abundant life for their families.
Reprint of Part 3 of a 4-Part series on Being Pro Abundant Life from Caring Together, December 2016