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Day 20 - October 17

Intention:

May God's justice sober our society, and may mercy triumph over judgment.

Scripture:

Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man's brother I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man.

- Genesis 9:5-6

Reflection:

The value of every human being can hardly be seen more clearly than with this verse. God, the King of the universe, has created all human beings in his image, and declares forthrightly that shedding the blood of any individual will require the blood of the one who shed it. God's concern for human beings is not limited to any particular group. Indeed, his concern is universal, and includes male and female, young and old, born and unborn, disabled and able-bodied, the citizens of every nation on earth.

Abortion, the deliberate killing of the unborn, is the shedding of innocent blood. Surely the blood of millions upon millions of innocent children cries out to God. It is true that we live in an age of grace, and yet this passage (among many other texts which express similar sentiments) should give every thinking Christian pause.

Christians of all people, entrusted with the Word of God as we are, must take a stand. We must speak out. We must do all that we can to protect the innocent, to pursue justice, and to encourage the repentance of all those who bear responsibility for this great evil. Only in this manner can we hope to forestall the judgment that must otherwise surely come.

This passage should also be seen as an encouragement to educate and disciple our children and grandchildren about what it means to be human, and the responsibility that will become theirs in this ongoing struggle.

Prayer:

O Father, forgive us for our lack of courage and our want of compassion for the unborn and for those lost and hurt by abortion. Fill us anew with your Spirit. Renew our minds, strengthen us in righteousness, help us be people of salt and light within our nation. May every human being, from conception to natural death, be treated with the respect due those made in your image. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Rev. John Brown
Director, United Friends for Life (United Church of Christ)

Today marks the midpoint of this 40 Days for Life
campaign. The blessings are more than we can count!

One thing we HAVE been able to count is the number
of turnarounds reported by local campaign teams.

So far, there have been ...

... 229 babies saved from abortion — that we know of!

Let’s go straight to a few of these amazing stories.

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

As two volunteers began praying at the 40 Days for Life
vigil were praying, a woman drove up and started yelling
at them.

“You’re not helping anything,” she screamed. “These
women need someone to care for them, not harass them.”

One of the volunteers tried to explain the vigil, but
the woman wasn’t interested. She just shouted some more
— and drove off.

That was a bit unsettling, but the pair continued
to pray — specifically for the young woman they
were watching. She was sitting with her mother in
a parked car.

Neither woman got out of the car. About 20 minutes
later, they started the engine and headed towards
the exit.

One of the volunteers walked in their direction and
asked them if they needed help.

The young woman said she had arrived for an abortion.
“But because of you on the sidewalk, I’m not going
to go through with it.”

What a testimony to this volunteer’s commitment to
stick with it even in the face of persecution!

CHERRY HILL, NEW JERSEY

The 40 Days for Life team in Cherry Hill reports nine
turnarounds so far this campaign.

One woman arrived for an abortion had several children
and faced some serious financial challenges. But she
changed her mind when she saw an ultrasound image.

TWINS!

Volunteers also spoke to three young women who were
heading towards the abortion center. One was there for
an abortion.

The vigil participant told her that judging from their
expressions, it was obvious that this was a sad day.
This volunteer told the group that they needed to be
aware of all the help that’s available.

With that, the young woman stood in the driveway for a
while — talking to her friends. She never went inside
the abortion facility. The three friends left — all
looking very much happier.

HOUSTON, TEXAS

Pro-lifers in Houston are blessed with a mobile clinic
that can often be found parked outside the huge Planned
Parenthood abortion center.

Volunteers recently spoke to a man on the sidewalk, who
told them his wife had gone into Planned Parenthood for
an abortion. After a short discussion, he called his
wife and asked her to come outside to the mobile clinic.

She left Planned Parenthood, but seemed reluctant to
enter the mobile clinic — until she was offered a free
ultrasound.

“We were able to show her on the ultrasound her unborn
child with its heart just beating away,” said one of the
volunteers. “Her attitude immediately changed and she
began to smile. She left our bus with proof of pregnancy,
doctor referrals and a beautiful baby blanket.”