The zealous young speaker was out to convince all the other students in his speech class that abortion is wrong. To prove his point, his carefully constructed presentation featured graphic photos of aborted fetuses.
Halfway into his talk, one girl ran from the classroom in tears.
My son’s heart went out to the crying girl. He understood something of which the speaker was evidently unaware.
This girl likely had an abortion in her past. The young speaker’s insensitivity ripped open the wound in her soul. The same thing happens when protesters march against abortion holding grisly signs declaring that it’s murder.
All of this begs the question:
How do we bring about change in our society –or, more specifically, in the human heart?
Is it by loudly declaring the truth in the public square? Is it by brandishing signs, marching, and protesting? Can we overthrow the regime of sin on our planet by these means?
I believe the key to bringing about change lies not in revolution but in transformation.
Revolution is about fighting against the powers that be. Transformation is about change from the inside out.
Think metamorphosis, like caterpillar to butterfly.
Jesus Christ and his followers have brought about massive change which is now woven throughout the fabric of western civilization.
These changes didn’t come about by overthrowing the Roman government, but by means of a ripple effect which ultimately transformed society from the inside out.
Jesus said to the Pharisees,
The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you. –Luke 17:20-21
In other words, don’t focus on externals. The Kingdom of God is first and foremost a matter of the heart.
Jesus lived out the Kingdom of God in the way he treated individuals. When he ascended back to heaven, his disciples continued living out the gospel in the same way.
As a result, legal slavery has gone away. Women enjoy greater dignity and equality than they have in thousands of years. And most folks think it’s obvious we should show love to others, give to charity, and educate our children.
We take many positive changes for granted, but the world wasn’t always this way. Culture has been transformed by the power of the gospel.
How? Not by debating and protesting, but by speaking the truth in love, one relationship at a time.
By living in a Kingdom way. By treating all human beings with respect, dignity and compassion.
So if I want to advocate for the unborn, I can’t do so without compassion for people who’ve chosen abortion. If I want equality for women, I can’t be combative toward men.
I can’t let my zeal for a cause, however worthy it may be, to overshadow the transformative power of the gospel.
It’s been years since my son told me about the crying girl in his class that day. Ever since then, I’ve coached students who ask for materials about abortion on how to present this painful topic with kindness and compassion.
I hope to create a ripple effect in my community. I hope to turn a few would-be revolutionaries into agents of gospel transformation.
The battle for the human heart isn’t won by proving a point.
The Kingdom comes, one transformed life at a time.
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