Luke 23:27-28, 'A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him.  Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.  For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 
I’ve read these verses many times, but reading these verses recently I was struck by the thought that these words of Jesus may have relevance to the abortion debate.
As a man, I frequently hear that men should not have an opinion on the topic of abortion. However, I can’t help but reject this premise.
Rather than remain silent, I feel a profound responsibility to speak out as a son, brother, uncle, partner, friend, and hopeful future father. Creating a baby requires both a man and a woman and it takes a village to raise to a child. The nurturing and selfless role played by the men in my life shapes my understanding of my role and the responsibility I bear in supporting and caring for both lives involved. Abortion impacts everyone, and we all have a role to play in supporting both lives.
"The nurturing and selfless role played by the men in my life shapes my understanding of my role and the responsibility I bear in supporting and caring for both lives involved."
If asked I would always have said I was pro-life without hesitation. The more I learn about this issue, the more convicted I am of my position albeit with some added nuance. Now, rather than describing myself as pro-life I use the term ​‘pro-both.’ The topic of abortion will always be a sensitive issue, but in every pregnancy both the life of the mother and her unborn child are of incredible, inherent value. I believe that both lives matter and that as we advocate for the lives of the unborn, we should advocate for the resources and support that make the choice of life easier for women. Men – how can you help to enable, empower and support the women in your life to choose life for their unborn baby and help to create a society where both lives can flourish?
Where do the verses above come into it you may ask? Previously, I may have glossed over them, or looking at them closer may have thought they referred to a time of war where it was dangerous to have children or that things would get so bad in society that people would say it was better not to have children at all. Well, in reading these verses through a pro-both lens, there are clear applications of Jesus’ words in this contested and complex space.
If we consider the scenario, Jesus had been put on trial for crimes he did not commit, he had been sentenced to the most humiliating death possible, beaten, mocked, and was walking through the streets to his crucifixion. If I were in that scenario, I doubt I would have had thoughts of anything other than my own pain. In reading these words I see Jesus’ words focus not on His situation but on a future situation clearly of great importance. I see a manifestation of these words prevalent in society today. How often are women encouraged to be exactly what verse 29 describes – ​‘childless, with wombs that never bore and breasts that never nursed’? The cultural narrative surrounding childlessness has switched from a celebration of access to choice to a celebration of THE choice itself.
"Men – how can you help to enable, empower and support the women in your life to choose life for their unborn baby and help to create a society where both lives can flourish?"
Scripture makes it clear that God’s heart is for both lives and through the God Unborn resources, I’ve been able to greatly expand my understanding of this. Both lives matter in every pregnancy because God says that they matter. The mystery of the incarnation beautifully demonstrates the value God places on the relationship between a mother and her child, from conception; a relationship God chose for Himself, in the lives of Mary and Jesus.
As some in society push towards greater access to, and fewer protections from abortion, the words of Jesus tell us to weep, and we should. We weep for a society that is failing women by telling them that abortion is the choice required to achieve the goals that the world says are important. We weep for a society where the inherent value of the lives of the unborn has been pushed aside in the name of choice. We weep for the lives lost to abortion. But we celebrate because we have a Saviour who values, cares for, and loves both lives.
Beyond weeping – we can all play a role in supporting both lives in pregnancy.
