Devotional for Day 24, March 28, 2014
Rev. Ben Sheldon, President Emeritus, Presbyterians Pro-life
Intention: That we may realize the generational impact of abortion.
Scripture: Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife because she was barren; and the Lord granted his prayer and Rebekah his wife conceived. The children struggled together within her, and she said,” If it is thus, why do I live?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples, born of you, shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the el- der shall serve the younger.” — Genesis 25:21-23
Reflection: What an answer to prayer! Who dares to say that the unborn are not human, with distinct personality and character right from the moment of conception? This account emphasizes the vitality and uniqueness of the twins who, be- cause of Isaac’s prayer for his wife, were conceived in Rebekah’s womb. When Rebekah was told by the Lord that the older would serve the younger
twin, God already knew that Jacob and Esau would lead turbulent and conflicted lives. God knows us and knows all about us, including our personality and disposition long before we are actually born, indeed, from the moment we are conceived in our mother’s womb. What a tragedy of gargantuan proportions that babies, planned and endowed by the Creator, with distinct and unique personalities and with, perhaps, a future and destiny intended for greatness, have their lives snuffed out by cruel abortionists before they ever see the light of day! May our prayers that the dreadful scourge of abortion in our land may vanish be as fervent as Isaac’s were for Rebekah.
Prayer: O, God, you formed us in our mother’s womb and planned a unique and spe- cial life and purpose for each of us, and we do thank you. Grant that we may pray and work for an end to abortion, especially in these 40 days, so that no unborn baby you have made may fail to achieve your divine intention for him or her because of intentional abortion. We pray this for the sake of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
God has taken 40 Days for Life to some unexpected places during the past six years – but none quite so unexpected as Russia.
The second 40 Days for Life campaign in Moscow is now going on …. and there are plans for more Russian campaigns in the future.
Robert Colquhoun, our international outreach director, just visited Moscow to encourage the volunteers there. Here’s Robert’s report from the capital of Russia.
Moscow, Russia
It was a great trip! I enjoyed meeting Arevik, the local leader in Moscow, and enjoyed their kind hospitality. I also met Anastasia, who wants to start a campaign in St. Petersburg. A number of other cities have also followed on board praying for life.
A press conference at the Interfax news agency was the highlight of the trip. It was a bit odd to have a receptive national media willing to spread your message – as opposed to the UK and the US.
At this event, Arevik spoke about the history of abortion in Russia and how that has shaped people’s values and mentality.
In 1920, Russia became the first country in the world to legalise abortion. For several generations of women, Arevik said, abortion was the primary means of birth control. Abortion became the norm, and a significant portion of the population believes that a person’s life begins at birth, not conception.
I was able to meet with Father Dimitry, an Orthodox priest, and Bishop Matts-Ola Iskhoel, the senior pastor of Word of Life Church in Moscow, which is Arevik’s church. This church is well organised, with about 4,000 members and seven churches in Moscow.
The Moscow vigil has been beset by challenges. For one thing, public prayer is something totally inconceivable in Russia.
In addition to that, the police have not granted permission for the vigil this year, apart from having a small number of people for a very restricted period. The police stopped some of the prayer volunteers on the first day because of this. However, they are still praying around the corner and keeping the vigil going.
Last year, they conducted the vigil more anonymously; but this year, they wanted to have signs. Freedom of expression is not something that is deeply enshrined in Russia. But Arevik hopes this will change over time.
In short, the Russian volunteers are doing great in adverse situations – and hats off to them!
Thanks to Robert Colquhoun for this special look at 40 Days for Life in Russia.