Roe v. Wade has been overturned. The Lord has answered our prayers. He has established the work of our hands and brought forth fruit from our labors. And now we can declare with the psalmist that “those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!” (Ps. 126:5). Tomorrow there will still be work to do. But today let us proclaim that the Lord has done great things for us. And let us be glad.

Roe v. Wade has been overturned. We’ve waited decades to see those words in print. When something so monumental and so long sought after comes to fruition, it can be hard to make sense of. We know the facts—the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Dobbs case overturned Roe. But how are we to understand what brought us to this moment? And what should we do now?

As I’ve tried to begin answering those questions, the words of Psalm 126 come to mind. It’s a psalm of celebration, briefly reflecting on a time “when the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion” by delivering his people from captivity (v. 1), and it offers us a guide as we celebrate another deliverance of sorts.

Tell a Better Story

The psalmist writes that God’s people “were like those who dream” (v. 1). We, too, may find our situation surreal. We may have spent years hoping for Roe‘s reversal and yet find ourselves unable to grasp the fact that it has happened. We need to take time to let it sink in that the dream has become a reality. Then, let us be like the Israelites, our mouths “filled with laughter” and our tongues with “shouts of joy” (Ps. 126:2). This is a moment to celebrate! Remember the prayers you’ve prayed, the hours spent volunteering, the letters written to elected officials. Remember the brothers and sisters in Christ you’ve labored alongside. Pause and take time to experience the joy of what has happened today.

As you do, a story will likely begin to take shape in your mind. When we try to make sense of historic moments, our minds tend to arrange the facts we know into a narrative that helps us understand. 

Some of us will tell the story of Roe being overturned as a story of nine justices and how they voted. Some will tell a story of giving a voice to the voiceless and defending the powerless. Some will tell a story of political strategy and the evangelical vote. Some will tell a story of good triumphing over evil, the righting of a wrong. Some will tell the story of a goal accomplished and the dawning of a new era. All of these stories help us understand aspects of what has happened. But let’s not miss the truth that, ultimately, the story of Roe v. Wade being overturned is a story about God.

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