Changing minds, saving lives through kindness and respect
Charles Rice
Let me tell you a true story about something that happened a few days ago.
It was described by Mike Johnson, a lawyer in Baton Rouge and sent to me by one of his colleagues. Mike JohnsonÕs account, which I quote with permission, is as follows:
ÒA remarkable event took place at our law office yesterday ... Last week, a woman called one of our senior partners, Tommy Benton, to schedule an appointment to discuss the succession of a large, family estate. Though Tommy had no immediate recollection of this woman, she reminded him that she was an old client of one of our firmÕs former associates more than 20 years ago, and that she remembered Tommy as being a person whom her family could trust. He thanked her for the kind gesture, and scheduled her for an appointment early this week.
ÒYesterday [Monday, April 10th], the woman arrived at our office to discuss the necessary legal work. She was accompanied by her daughter, a bright, attractive 23-year-old, who sat in on and contributed to the routine meeting. Tommy enjoyed making the re-acquaintance with this old client of our firm, and particularly enjoyed the input and cheerful smile of the clientÕs daughter. After the meeting, the woman and her daughter warmly thanked Tommy for his time and for agreeing to accept their case, and left our office.
ÒAbout an hour later, Tommy came into my office with a rare, somewhat stunned expression on his face. ÔThe most ... wonderful thing just happened,Õ he said. ÔI just received a most remarkable phone call.Õ Less than an hour after she left their meeting, the woman had called Tommy to share with him a very moving story.
ÒShe explained that over 23 years ago, she was agonizing over a personal crisis. Because her circumstances at the time made her situation seem unbearable, she decided to terminate her unwanted pregnancy. When her female attorney (our former associate) learned that the woman had scheduled an abortion, she convinced the woman to make one anonymous phone call to an associate in her firm who had been extensively involved in various Christian pro-life efforts in the past. That associate was Tommy Benton, and the woman reported that it was because of the compassion and reason that he shared in that call, that she ultimately decided to keep her baby, the greatest blessing and joy of her life.
ÒOn the phone yesterday, Tommy realized before the woman finished her story that the beautiful young lady whom he had just met was the child that he had literally talked into existence over 23 years earlier.Ó
That is the end of Mike JohnsonÕs story. What can it tell us? When Tommy Benton took that anonymous call, he did not go into the attack mode. Nor did he start a debate about abortion. Instead he treated her as a person, with kindness and concern. He was ready to help. He spoke the truth, with Òcompassion and reason.Ó And God took care of the rest.
As Cardinal Edouard Gagnon described a conversation he had with Pope John Paul II, ÒHe told me truth has a grace attached to it. Anytime we speak the truth ... there is an internal grace of God that accompanies that truth. The truth may not immediately enter in the mind and heart of those to whom we talk, but the grace of God is there and at the time they need it, God will open their heart and they will accept it.Ó
Mike JohnsonÕs account reminds us that the essential pro-life mission is to change minds and hearts with prayer and the truth, and to save lives one by one. But the point of Mike JohnsonÕs story transcends abortion. As he summarized it:
ÒThe lesson? Be ready. You never know when God might use you to change someoneÕs life forever.Ó
Something to think about.
Professor Rice is on the Law School faculty. His column appears every other Tuesday.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
All Viewpoint Stories for Tuesday, May 2, 2000
