“Faithful Utterances”

Dr. Froswa Booker-Drew | Texas Metro News

Dear Body of Christ,

This isn’t for all of you. I want to commend those of you who step up to the plate daily supply­ing the support that our commu­nities need. This is for those who are focused on dealing with cer­tain people because it’s easy and comfortable.

As I witness you celebrating the overturning of Roe v. Wade, I want to challenge you. I want you to really consider the way you are currently supporting women and children in your congregation.

I hope that you will also em­brace the young women who are single mothers without judg­ment and that your church has a ministry that caters to their needs offering both financial and emotional support beyond just the spiritual.

As churches, I hope that you are taking the time to address the needs of those who you are called to serve instead of just teaching them without the prac­tical application of what they are hearing on Sundays and Wednesday nights.

I hope that you are talking to those young men in your congre­gation about what it means to be a man — that it is more than the ability to create babies but to be accountable and responsible for your actions.

My prayer is that you will show them what it means to be in a loving, committed relationship that supports your partner to ful­fill their God-given purpose, too.

I hope that instead of allowing the women to carry the respon­sibility of parenthood — since their conception was not a solo act — that you will hold the men in your congregation to a stan­dard of being involved, even if they are not with the mother of their child/children.

Church, if human life is so im­portant to you then it must go beyond conception and preg­nancy to life outside the womb. How do we care for the unborn but not their mothers or fathers?

We do not fight for universal health insurance, livable wage jobs, housing, and other neces­sities so that children can come into the world healthy, safe and provided for.

We do not question infant mortality and the rates of Black women who die in childbirth and after the birth of their ba­bies. If babies are really import­ant to you, you would be con­cerned about their educational opportunities.

They would have quality childcare centers with teachers that are trained and paid well. We would care about their safe­ty — children and their families would be protected from vio­lence that exists in the home and outside of the home.

They could be free to shop in grocery stores, go to the mov­ies, attend parades or even go to school without the fear of be­ing massacred in places that are supposed to be safe.

Just as Jesus listed several is­sues with the Pharisees, those same issues exist today within the Church. Matthew 23:14-36 lists seven woes to the Pharisees which are relevant today:

1. Teaching about God but not genuinely loving God (claim­ing you love God who you’ve never seen but hate your brothers and sisters you see every day (1 John 4:20)).
2. Preaching about God but you don’t live out what you are teaching.
3. Confusing what’s sacred and what is not.
4. Teaching the Bible but not practicing justice, mercy, and faithfulness to God. Getting caught up in the minuscule but not paying attention to what’s major.
5. Appearing to be righteous but filled with a heart of greed and self-promotion.
6. Speaking about your love for Jesus but if He were alive to­day, many of you would con­demn Him as well.

I hope that in your moments of celebration, there is time for true reflection and change. Without it, our witness to the world is filled with hypocrisy—like the Pharisees.

Dr. Froswa’ Booker-Drew is the President of Soulstice Consultancy, LLC. To learn more about her, visit drfroswabooker.com.

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