From the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women, United Methodist Church.
A Response of Lament to the SCOTUS Decision to Overturn Roe V. Wade
Today’s Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe V. Wade creates gender, racial and economic injustice for all Americans. It draws deeper lines between those who have means and those who do not. It creates geographical disparities that erase equal access and opportunity to healthcare.
By reducing a woman’s rights, our class structure is further divided, contrary to our belief that all women and men are created equal. We grieve this injustice.
A Psalm of Lament by The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women
(Adapted from Psalm 13)
Oh Lord, how long will you allow women and girls to be unseen and forgotten?
How long shall they be left with deep sorrow, anguish, and travail?
Oh Lord, how long will women and girls be viewed as second-class citizens?
How long before women and girls will be able to make decisions for their own health and wellness as well as for their families?
Oh Lord, how long shall they be persecuted by those who have tormented them and taken away their dignity?
How long will they continue to be exploited by those who do not share in their burdens, nor carry the weight of their collective pain?
Oh Lord, help all to remember that everyone is created in the image of God. Help all humankind to know that we are of equal value in your eyes.
Dear Lord, we long for the day when reason, not power, when love, not indifference will lead us to create a more equitable society.
CALL TO ACTION: The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women recognizes there is still much work to do regarding a woman’s power and right to make decisions about her body and
healthcare. We recognize that every person; woman and man is a full and equal part of God’s family.
We stand in solidarity with every woman, and young girl. Join us as we continue to challenge systems that perpetuate these injustices and work to redress inequities of the past and prevent further inequities against women and girls both in the church and in the world