How Your Wisdom Helps Us Navigate Our Times

Greg AustenERI Updates

Someone has joked that running a non-profit is like building a plane while you’re flying it! So many complexities and unknowns exist, and the one constant is how quickly things change. 

I’m also told that if you learn to fly an airplane, they drill into you the importance of something called “situational awareness.” Situational awareness is knowing what’s going on around you; that is, having a full understanding of what is happening. That is what the “men of Isachar” did in biblical times: “they had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do.” (1 Chron. 12:32, ESV)

This is one of the many reasons we at ERI are so grateful for all our casual readers and committed partners. We learn a ton from you.

Photo by John McArthur on Unsplash

Our partnership with many of you isn’t just essential for financial sustainability and impact; it’s a vital feedback loop that sharpens our messaging and keeps us laser-focused on being more principled and consistent in equipping everyday people with smarter, kinder conversations that transform culture and save unborn lives. 

It’s a mirror for us, and in the multitude of counselors, there is also safety (Prov. 11:14). Having just written this signature piece showing ERI’s take on the prolife movement and our position within it for our new season, here is just some of the great feedback and encouragement we received:

“Very helpful and necessary framing, Greg. Without at all conceding the importance of just laws, which we certainly ought to pursue, followers of The Way can be effective in all the remaining corners, even when we have little influence in the corridors of power. Indeed, history is replete with examples of doing exactly that, and it is perhaps where we are most effective.” – Eve

“Dear Greg, 

I deeply appreciate your email and article on the need to decenter legislative goals in the pro-life movement so they don’t crowd out the other essential elements needed to build a pro-life world. Over the last decade or so, I’ve grown increasingly concerned and convinced that anti-abortion legislation has been elevated to such a radical extreme that it has actively undermined the aims articulated in ERI’s revised vision statement. Even as I hope and believe that the arc of the universe bends towards justice, I worry that short-term policy gains have already damaged the democratic processes needed to instill lasting, sustainable change. Further, I fear that the harm done by turning individuals and communities away from the pro-life movement who otherwise could be critical allies will advance the culture of death more than if the time, energy, and resources devoted to legislation were instead invested into social safety nets, relational apologetics, and community building.

All that said, I am thankful that your initial activity as president of ERI is clear and targeted at many of my concerns. I’m writing this not just to voice my support for the direction taken by your team… Many blessings to you and your loved ones, the entire ERI team, and all those you encounter and aid through your work.

Peace,” – Alex

“Hi Greg,

Thank you for the powerful article below and for all the good work through Equal Rights Institute.

 ‘…we need these experiences of beauty and goodness to be able to combat the ugliness of abortion without getting lost in it. We can hate and fight against abortion, but we also need to be fighting for something—both for our own sake and for the sake of casting a compelling vision for others.’

May God bless you and your family abundantly!

In Christ,” – Michael

“Yes! Amen!! SO GOOD! Thank you, Greg and ERI, for this great blog post. God has always been more concerned about people and hearts than about laws; the laws are just a tool to help people understand what’s best for them, where the boundaries are (and how much we need redemption due to our inability to follow God’s laws completely).

I heard a fascinating constitutional political economist, Dr. Nikolai Wenzel (https://www.nikolaiwenzel.net/), make a similar point as you concerning governance, but in his example it was about a nation’s constitution. Bolivia copied its constitution from the US Constitution & French principles of liberty, but it never worked in their country exactly for the reason you gave; it did not codify what the populace believed was just and right and therefore failed. This was a startling and fascinating concept to me when I heard him speak about it.

I strongly believe there is a need for pregnancy centers regardless of what the law is concerning abortion. And the pro-life / pro-abundant life cadre MUST care about the whole person and be life-minded, especially about their souls, not just the decision they make in this pregnancy, in this moment.

Thank you for this great, thoughtful, and thought-provoking blog, and for the model of the 4-cornered frame. I drew an illustration of it for myself before I saw the image further down the blog; I want to keep it on my desk to think about. We need MORE BEAUTY in our lives, and our Savior is SO winsome and beautiful; that is what we need to be reflecting.

Sincerely,” – Trish

Again, a big thank you to each one of you for all your support and feedback—including your continued prayers, encouragement, and insight. Truly, and now switching metaphors from planes to ships, we couldn’t navigate these cultural waters without you!

Blessings to you and yours in this season,

Greg