Thousands of pro-life advocates braved freezing temperatures to gather at the National Mall in Washington, DC, on Friday for the 51st annual March for Life. Two days later, believers around the country together affirmed Scripture passages like Jeremiah 1:5 and Psalm 139:13 as local churches celebrated Sanctity of Life Sunday. In the days since, I’ve heard pro-abortion politicians—both national and in my city—characterize pro-life advocates as “extremists” who “lack compassion.” How is a rising generation navigating these competing messages? This is one question Chloe Belk addressed in her recent article for TGC.

As a Gen Zer herself, Belk is keenly aware of her generation’s social consciousness. “During high school, I saw some friends attend the Women’s March and others attend the March for Life,” she wrote. “During college, I had dorm-room-floor conversations with friends who advocated for a woman’s right to choose.” Belk believes social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok have trained younger generations in how to listen to and empathize with other people’s stories. “Gen Zers talk a lot about ‘empathy,’” she writes. It’s a “sense of identifying with another person that moves beyond sympathy and into understanding [that person’s] unique experiences.”

What does an “empathy generation” need to hear and see from pro-life Christians? They must be shown that while empathy is a great strength, it has its limitations. Empathy alone can ignore stark truths. But when empathy is combined with the courage to speak truth in love, lives are changed. Belk saw both empathy and courage on display when she interned at a pregnancy resource center. Through that work, she writes, “I’ve come to believe that women deserve better than abortion.” 

Chloe Belk doesn’t need to be alone on this journey. We can help a new generation of pro-life advocates learn both compassion and courage by encouraging them to step into the front lines of pregnancy care.

With hope for the rising leaders,