Have you ever seen someone else’s alarm clock screen? Some people, like myself, have many alarms in succession to avert sleeping in late. Others can manage to only have one or two alarms to wake them from their slumber. But something that everyone has in common is that undeniable urge to simply hit snooze and grasp at the few extra minutes of rest. However, I know many times in my life when those few extra minutes turn into an hour, leading to a panic-filled morning of rushing to class or work. Snoozing may be comfortable, but it has consequences. The church, often called “the sleeping giant”, has pressed snooze for so long with disastrous effects. The church cannot afford to press snooze again, especially with the way the world is today. No matter how uncomfortable, or how unpopular, the children of God must be “without fault in a warped and crooked generation”, standing for Biblical truth.

This past week, on May 3rd, some unprecedented news came from Washington D.C. There was a leak from the Supreme Court regarding the upcoming Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, which has far-reaching consequences for the nation. A leak of this nature is surprising as no “full draft of a supreme court opinion [has ever] been leaked to the press.” According to the leak, Judge Samuel Alito writes that “We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled.” This leak revealed that the Supreme Court majority, composed of Justices Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett, voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, effectively reversing the judicial approval of abortion since 1973. Yet, this leak was likely released so that “public unrest before the decision is announced [can] impact the outcome of the case,” especially as justices can change their votes before the official decision is announced.

Already, this information has stirred up national discourse and garnered the attention of so many individuals. In fact, protesters already planned to march and pressure the supreme court justices at their own houses and riot at Catholic churches in Washington D.C.  After the news broke, websites, articles, and people all started arguing back and forth. Current Vice President Kamala Harris spoke passionately at a Political Action Committee meeting saying “How dare they tell a woman what she can do and cannot do with her own body? How dare they?” Vice President Mike Pence, speaking at a pregnancy center event, retorted, “Since 1973, generations of mothers enduring heartbreaking and loss that can last a lifetime. Madame Vice President, how dare you?” But these conversations were not just at the national and political level, they reached down into the everyday lives of individuals. When news of the leak broke, my own university app was flooded with comments and arguments between students. I saw posters for emergency protests to support abortion and the like. The national discourse surrounding abortion has immediately become revitalized.

In the midst of this national discourse, the church needs to make a statement. First off, pastors around the country need to lead their congregations in prayer for the current situation in our nation regarding abortion. We need to pray that Supreme Court justices stick to their convictions and that Roe v. Wade is indeed abolished. Even more so, we need to pray for repentance. Secondly, pastors need to speak up on abortion. The church has been silent on this issue for far too long. The reality is that the Bible is clear on the issue, but many Christians are either completely deceived as it pertains to abortion, or just sit on the sidelines. When the church is mobilized to action, real change can actually happen in our nation. Lastly, it is important to remember that this supreme court decision simply returns the question of abortion to the states. Each state and their respective voters will have to make the final decisions regarding abortion in their state. But ultimately, political decisions, court cases, and legislative action is not going to change the sentiments about abortion in our nation. Christians have to engage in conversations with those around them, and those individual, thought-provoking discussions will provoke change. Just like many other issues, the question of abortion stems down to a question of worldview, and this is where Christians must engage with the world around them.

The church at large, for many years, has been content to be on the sidelines as it pertains to the moral trespasses of our nation. Yet, the recent leak ought to serve as another wake-up call. There is a need for moral clarity and direction in our nation right now as the country divides further and further apart. The only thing that will bring redemption and healing to our nation is for us to return to Christ. It is time for the church at large to wake up, and not just press snooze again as it pertains to cultural issues. We can’t afford to make that choice again, not with children’s lives on the line. We cannot press snooze again.