To Zion

So I was rocking out to some Lauryn Hill the other day, and a song came on, "To Zion," that I hadn't heard in a longggggggggggggggggggggggggg time. I mean LONG. I didn't have my period the last time I listened to it. Anyway, the lyrics sort of struck me because she was obviously talking about being torn on what to do when she became pregnant unexpectedly.

Here are the lyrics:
Unsure of what the balance held
I touched my belly overwhelmed
By what I had been chosen to perform
But then an angel came one day
Told me to kneel down and pray
For unto me a man child would be born
Woe this crazy circumstance
I knew his life deserved a chance
But everybody told me to be smart
Look at your career they said,
"Lauryn, baby use your head"
But instead I chose to use my heart

Now the joy of my world is in Zion
Now the joy of my world is in Zion

How beautiful if nothing more
Than to wait at Zion's door
I've never been in love like this before
Now let me pray to keep you from
The perils that will surely come
See life for you my prince has just begun
And I thank you for choosing me
To come through unto life to be
A beautiful reflection of his grace
For I know that a gift so great
Is only one God could create
And I'm reminded every time I see your face

That the joy of my world is in Zion
Now the joy of my world is in Zion
Now the joy of my world is in Zion
Now the joy of my world is in Zion

Marching, marching, marching to Zion
Marching, marching
Marching, marching, marching to Zion
Beautiful, beautiful Zion


(Note: her son is named Zion.)

So I was reading the lyrics on my go to lyric website, songmeanings.net. A really interesting debate was sparked in the comments if the song was pro-feminist, anti-abortion, if the song should be a new "pro-life anthemn" etc.

I tried googling Lauryn Hill and her views on abortion but I couldn't really find much reliable information about it. So I'm not sure what her personal views are -- if she is pro-choice or anti-choice.

Anyway, I found a couple of the lines really interesting "... everybody told me to be smart / Look at your career they said, 'Lauryn, baby use your head' / But instead I chose to use my heart." She says that she ignored her head, which seemed to be telling her to have an abortion, and listening to her heart and kept the pregnancy. It seems the underlying statement here is that having an abortion is not "using your heart" but using your head. Abortion is smart and keeping it is loving?

She also refers to her pregancy as a life so it seems like she defines life as beginning with conception.

All that aside, I think the most important part of the song is that she struggled with the CHOICE. She got to decide what was best for her. She had the option of ending her pregnancy and she had the option of keeping it if she wished. It sounds like she definitely made the best decision for her (The joy of her world is Zion) and I think that is awesome she was able to figure that out. One thing I feel like is misconstrued about Abortioneers is that we WANT people to have abortions. I want each woman to choose what is best for her. If someone decides she wants to keep her pregnancy, great! Here are some resources on pre-natal care. If someone decides she wants to have an abortion, that's great too. Here are some clinics I'd recommend. You know? I just want everyone to be happy and do what is right for her.

Anyway... everyone should check out the song, it's very pretty!