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I realize that several of my brothers and sisters in Christ voted for the Republican Party because they believed it to be the best choice for the pro-life/ anti-abortion movement. 

Please ponder this, In Denmark, 98 percent of pregnancies with a Down Syndrome diagnosis are terminated. In France, it’s 77 percent, and in the United States it’s 67 percent. I ask you my brothers and sisters in Christ to look around your churches population. How many children/adults with Down Syndrome do you see?  The possibility of CONCEIVING a child with Down Syndrome is 1 in 1,250 at age 25. It increases to about 1 in 100 for a woman at age 40. 

If nobody in the church is choosing abortion then statistically we should have a higher population of these kids/adults in the church (as well as other diagnosis/ special needs), than in the general population. I don’t think the problem is whether we have the right government party in place. The problem is in our midst, in our own church community.

We do not reflect what we believe. 

How many churches truly have a thriving special needs ministry that provides meaningful support to parents that have chosen not to abort their special needs child? Not just for the birth (pro-birth) but to be truly pro-life: for the lifetime of that special needs human being. Maybe if we clearly showed the value that these kids have and that they would be welcome in our Christian community, then fewer (even Christian) parents would be compelled to abort. 

I would love to see the same amount of people who espouse pro-life beliefs to be involved in volunteering and supporting programs for parents and their special needs kids. Your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who have a special needs child are lonely and desperate for help and support, some more than others, in spite of how put together or capable we look! The adults with special needs are in even more dire need of acceptance and support, especially after they age out of the public school system at 21.

There is no greater definition for “least of these” than a human being with special needs. They are your neighbors, co-workers, family members; you see them on the subway and bus stop; they are bagging your groceries, cleaning your local Goodwill store, sorting recycling, sitting alone in your work cafeteria; they are in group homes, prisons, institutions and hospitals.

 I beg of you, put down your pro-life placards and reach out to them. Be the hands and feet of Jesus in their life. It will be hard and it will be awkward. But your self sacrifice for them will be greatly rewarded by the God who wonderfully and fearfully created each of these very special human beings. 

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Matthew 25: 35-40