{"id":4516,"date":"2022-07-03T16:30:40","date_gmt":"2022-07-03T16:30:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/2022\/07\/03\/grieving-what-weve-lost-based-on-psalm-69\/"},"modified":"2022-07-03T16:30:40","modified_gmt":"2022-07-03T16:30:40","slug":"grieving-what-weve-lost-based-on-psalm-69","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/2022\/07\/03\/grieving-what-weve-lost-based-on-psalm-69\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cGrieving What We’ve Lost\u201d based on\u00a0\tPsalm 69: 1-3, 14-16 and Luke 4:17-21"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/figure>\n

I don’t even know where to begin.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThere are so many layers of lament.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nFor many years, I have regularly advocated for
\nReproductive Justice at the New York State Capital, with both Planned
\nParenthood and Clergy for Reproductive Choice. \u00a0Often, one of the
\nolder women in the groups I was advocating with would wear a hanger \u2013
\na hanger necklace, hanger earrings, or carry one with them.\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nConfession: \u00a0I thought that was sort of tacky.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nEspecially before 2016, I didn’t think Roe v. Wade could
\nreally fall, and the reminder that people die from illegal abortions
\nfelt like a narrative from another era.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nSo, once again, I feel the need to apologize to my
\nelders for not heeding their wisdom. \u00a0As I remember those moments
\nwith other advocates, I’ve been considering their ages, and noticing
\nthat they were of reproductive age before 1972. \u00a0They KNEW the impact
\nof those hangers. \u00a0It wasn’t just a part of history to them, and I
\nthink that’s why they KNEW better than I that it could become a part
\nof the present as well.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThat’s one part of it all.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nI want to acknowledge that not just women can get
\npregnant. There are men and non-binary people who are also at risk.
\nAnd for the sake of this sermon, I am going to say “women\u201d and
\n\u201cmothers\u201d sometimes. These words doesn’t encompass men and
\nnon-binary people, but women are the broadest category of affected
\npeople, and I am going to acknowledge that by using the words \u201cwomen\u201d
\nand \u201cmothers.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nAnother piece of it all is the is the awareness of how
\nunequal the impact of this decision will be. \u00a0Not just in terms of
\nred states and blue states, although that’s a big deal. \u00a0But also in
\nterms of socio-economic status \u2013 people of means have ALWAYS had
\naccess to safe, medically appropriate abortions, even if they had to
\nfly to Europe to get them. \u00a0As per usual, those who live in poverty
\nwill pay a higher price. \u00a0AND, it is impossible to ignore that
\nmaternal mortality is abominably high in the United States, and most
\nof the deaths are black women*1<\/sup><\/a>,
\nfollowed by other brown women*, while WHITE women* have pretty
\nreasonable maternal mortality rates. \u00a0Which is to say, in stark
\nterms, that an impact of this decision is that more black women* are
\ngoing to die.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nTo make this even move problematic some of the unspoken
\nand underlying motivation for abortion bans is white supremacy \u2013
\nwhereby there is a desire to prevent white women* having white babies
\nfrom ending those pregnancies, and a willingness to end all abortion
\naccess to keep white women* pregnant with white babies. \u00a0So that
\nmotivation then ends up killing black and brown women.* \u00a0There was
\nFreudian slip this week when a congresswoman called the Supreme Court
\ndecision \u201ca historic victory for white life.\u201d2<\/sup><\/a>
\n It was odd to hear it stated directly instead of just being implied.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThat’s a part of it all.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThen there is the normal, obvious part of grief around
\nthis decision: \u00a0the impact on those who are pregnant and don’t want
\nto be, and the incredible variation of how that came to be and what
\nimpact it will have on them. Earlier this month The Atlantic<\/i>
\npublished an article entitled \u201cThe Most Important Study in the
\nAbortion Debate\u201d which reports on the research of Diana Green
\nFoster looking the difference between what happens to women* who were
\nor were not able to access an abortion.3<\/sup><\/a>
\n They study lasted for 5 years, and included 1000 people seeking to
\nend pregnancies. \u00a0They found that those who were denied an abortion:<\/p>\n

\nwere more likely to end
\nup living in poverty. They had worse credit scores and, even years
\nlater, were more likely to not have enough money for the basics, such
\nas food and gas. They were more likely to be unemployed. They were
\nmore likely to go through bankruptcy or eviction. \u201cThe two groups
\nwere economically the same when they sought an abortion,…one became
\npoorer.\u201d4<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nAlso, those who were denied an abortion were more likely
\nto be with a partner who abused them, more likely to be a single
\nparent, had more trouble bonding with their child, felt more trapped,
\nhad more anxiety, had lower self esteem, and were less likely to even
\nhave aspirational life plans. \u00a0They were sicker. \u00a0Additionally, two
\nof the pregnant people denied an abortion died from their pregnancies
\n(none of the people who had abortions died.)<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nSince most people seeking an abortion already have kids,
\nthe research was also able to study the impact of not being able to
\naccess an abortion on the existing kids. \u00a0That is, they were less
\nlikely to hit developmental milestones and more likely to live in
\npoverty. \u00a0This truth ALSO applied to children born after the abortion
\nor lack of one.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nAnd, of course, \u00a0there
\nwere emotional impacts. \u00a0\u201cAfterward, nearly all said that
\ntermination had been the right decision. At five years, only 14
\npercent felt any sadness about having an abortion; two in three ended
\nup having no or very few emotions about it at all. \u201cRelief\u201d was
\nthe most common feeling, and an abiding one.\u201d5<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThis decision made by the Supreme Court condemns
\nimpoverished women* and families to harder lives, because \u2013 as we
\nknow \u2013 the ones who are pregnant are the ones who know what is best
\nfor them and their families. \u00a0The data backs it up. \u00a0They know when
\nthey can’t adequately care for a child or another child.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nSo, that’s another part of it. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nAnd also, there are the
\npieces where some states are having FULL bans on abortions, without
\nexceptions for the life of mother**6<\/sup><\/a>
\nnor for rape nor incest. \u00a0Now, I have major concerns about the impact
\nof having to convince someone you were raped or experienced incest in
\norder to access healthcare, but nevertheless, the impact of being
\nforced to carry that child to term is enormous. \u00a0And, many people
\nwill die simply because of the lack of exception for the life of the
\nmother**.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nSo, that’s another part of it. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nI’m hoping breaking this up actually helps a little. \u00a0I
\nmean, it is depressing, I know. \u00a0But when all of it swirls together
\ninto one huge overwhelming grief, it feels even more out of control.
\nKnowing there are layers helps me distinguish between them.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nI am now at the personal layer, the place where grief is
\nfor me. \u00a0Not just for me, but for me. \u00a0The decision tells me that I
\ndo not have authority over my own body. \u00a0I don’t have a right to my
\nown body. \u00a0\u201cBig brother\u201d has the right to tell me what I can and
\ncannot do with MY BODY.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nWhen this decision came out, I became a second class
\ncitizen. \u00a0SOME PEOPLE in this country have rights over their body. \u00a0I
\nam no longer one of them. \u00a0SOME PEOPLE have bodily autonomy. \u00a0I am no
\nlonger one of them. \u00a0SOME PEOPLE have a right to life-saving
\nhealthcare. \u00a0I am no longer one of them.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nTo go back to The
\nAtlantic<\/i>, \u201cThe legal and
\npolitical debate about abortion in recent decades has tended to focus
\nmore on the rights and experience of embryos and fetuses than the
\npeople who gestate them.\u201d7<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nMy body, in this country, has more value as a womb for a
\nfuture human than as an existing human. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThe Supreme Court gaveth, and the Supreme Court tooketh
\naway.\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThe history of women* as being property of men is still
\npresent, and still having impact. \u00a0We are now, it seems, property of
\nthe state who can tell us what we can and cannot do with OUR BODIES.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThat’s another part.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nAnd, a friend on FB this week put things into some
\ncontext. \u00a0She is a person of color. \u00a0She said, \u201cIf they’re willing
\nto do this to white women, I shudder to think what they’re willing to
\ndo to us.\u201d \u00a0I’m aware that some of the strength of my horror at
\nhaving bodily autonomy taken from me comes from the fact that I
\nthought it was mine to begin with. \u00a0Which has a lot to do with my
\nplaces of privilege in society. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\nThat’s another part.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nAnd along with it, is the fact that I live in New York ,
\nwhich not only protects the right to abortion but isn’t even one of
\nthe border states people will flock to when they lose privileges in
\ntheir own state. \u00a0(OK, fine, I hope. \u00a0May my birth state of PA hold
\nstrong.)<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nWhat I’ve lost is more theoretical than for those who
\nhave actually lost the rights to their bodies in their states, and I
\nhave to hold that in tension too.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThat’s another part.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThose are many of the pieces of grief and tension I’ve
\nbeen experiencing. \u00a0These are my current lament, and I think the
\nBible shows us that lament is important.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nBut what do we do NOW?<\/p>\n

\nWhere is that good news God appointed Isaiah and Jesus
\nto share? \u00a0Where is the good news for the POOR? \u00a0For the captives in
\ntheir own bodies, the oppressed?<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nI may be stating the obvious, but it isn’t here yet.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nBut, we don’t stop there. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nWe also do what we’ve done today. \u00a0We grieve, because
\nthere has been loss. \u00a0AND, we deny the narrative. \u00a0The state has said
\nI don’t have authority over my body, and many of the rest of you
\ndon’t too.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThat may be LEGALLY true, but it is morally and
\nethnically bankrupt. \u00a0The state cannot take away the sanctity of
\nbodily autonomy, the value of human rights. \u00a0We deny the power of the
\nstate to bureaucratically take dominion over human bodies, and we do
\nso in whatever means necessary. \u00a0 Because GOD is the one who said we
\nare created in the image of God, and our lives are sacred, and the
\nstate can’t take away what God has endowed.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nThere is a wonderful tradition of progressive Christian
\nactivism to support those in need of abortions, and the strength of
\nthat tradition will be a part of what guides us now. \u00a0There are
\namazing new leaders emerging, and part of our work is to listen for
\ngreat ideas and support them. \u00a0There are groups led by those who know
\nEXACTLY what to do to support the most vulnerable, and we support
\nthose groups. \u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nIn the meantime, I suggest we all take some inventories
\nof the spiritual and physical resources we have available to us
\n(communal and individual) so we know what we have to offer when
\nsupport is asked of us.<\/p>\n

\n<\/p>\n

\nGod doesn’t let oppression stand. \u00a0We’re working with
\nGod towards justice, and listening \u00a0to the urgings of the Spirit and
\nthe wisdom of those impacted as we find our ways forward in this new
\n(and old) struggle. \u00a0Amen\n<\/p>\n

1<\/a>*women,
\n\tgirls, and people who can get pregnant.<\/p>\n

2<\/a>https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2022\/06\/26\/1107710215\/roe-overturned-mary-miller-historic-victory-for-white-life<\/a><\/p>\n

3<\/a>Annie
\n\tLowry, \u201cThe Most Important Study in the Abortion Debate\u201d
\n\tpublished in The <\/i>Atlantic on
\n\tJun2 11, 2022. \u00a0Accessed June 30, 2022.
\n\thttps:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/ideas\/archive\/2022\/06\/abortion-turnaway-study-roe-supreme-court\/661246\/<\/a><\/p>\n

4<\/a>Lowry.<\/p>\n

5<\/a>Lowry.<\/p>\n

6<\/a>**Mother
\n\tor parent.<\/p>\n

7<\/a>Lowry.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Rev. Sara E. Baron
First United Methodist Church of Schenectady
603 State St. Schenectady, NY 12305
Pronouns: she\/her\/hers
http:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/<\/a>
https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FUMCSchenectady<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

July 3, 2022<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I don’t even know where to begin. There are so many layers of lament. For many years, I have regularly … Continue reading \u201cGrieving What We’ve Lost\u201d based on\u00a0\tPsalm 69: 1-3, 14-16 and Luke 4:17-21<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[34,38,28,39,33,1613,1265,965,1614,80,1591,1610,1612,56,1611,1609],"class_list":["post-4516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-fumc-schenectady","tag-progressive-christianity","tag-rev-sara-e-baron","tag-thinking-church","tag-umc","tag-an-end-to-reproductive-freedom","tag-first-umc-schenectady","tag-grief","tag-i-am-no-longer-one-of-them","tag-intersectionality","tag-lament","tag-prochoice","tag-prochoice-denomination","tag-schenectady","tag-sorry-about-the-homophobic-umc-world","tag-trust-women"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4516","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4516"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4516\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fumcschenectady.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}