Sir, – Retired Bishop Walton Empey made the point (November 27th) that the Church of Ireland was quite silent on the abortion debate. There are many clerical voices speaking out from most of the Christian denominations, but they are predominantly male. As an ordained woman, I, as all my colleagues, male and female in the Reformed traditions, seek guidance, assistance and inspiration from the Scriptures. It seems to me that the question at issue is one of hospitality, and the Hebrew Scriptures in particular has much to “say” on this. The alien is to be welcomed, treated properly, and enabled to flourish.
Two snapshots of examples of hospitality: first, a story reported by a journalist returning from a war zone in Africa – on the aircraft he found himself sitting beside a nun; she had been raped by African guerrillas, and was returning to her mother house to bear the child that had been conceived. Second, the arrival in my theological college of an ordinand and wife who brought with them a baby – this baby had been carried by a friend of the family in her womb, as the ordinand’s wife was unable to conceive. Two stories of two enormous acts of hospitality.
But, and this is a huge “but”, the offering of such hospitality cannot be forced on a woman by others, either through church pronouncements or State legislation. It is quite simply, a disposition of the heart. I do not think that I could have offered such hospitality and generosity in similar situations.
As we move towards Christmas, we can also consider Mary, who offered the hospitality of her womb to the Christ-child. This was a full, free and informed consent; it was not an act of fearful and slavish obedience to divine command. And let us not forget the hospitality of Joseph who offered his name, his support, and his protection to a little alien baby which was not his. There is more to bearing a child than the growing in the womb and birth-event itself; there is the effectively two decades of growing to adulthood, the years of generous and patient care to enable the child to flourish and grow. – Yours, etc,