The Battle for Life

Blow the trumpet in Zion! proclaim a fast, call an assembly; Gather the people, notify the congregation; Assemble the elders, gather the children and the infants at the breast; Let the bridegroom quit his room, and the bride her chamber. Joel 2:15-16 (NAB).

On July 26, 2007 I was shocked to discover that the largest abortuary in the US was scheduled to open mere blocks from my home. Planned Parenthood, the largest killer of pre-born babies in our country, had concealed their identity through the use of a for-profit corporation in order to secretly build their killing facility. What followed was a firestorm of reaction from defenders of the Unborn. Three rallys at the site drew from 800 to 1200 people from Aurora and surrounding communities to demonstrate and pray that the facility would not open. Each Aurora City Council meeting has seen more than 100 people signed up to address the Council -- overwhelmingly opposed to the opening of the facility. In addition, for more that 40 days and nights we have been gathered outside the abortuary to implore God that it not be allowed to open.

Up until the moment that I discovered that the "medical building" was going to be a place of death, I was a "passive pro-lifer". I prayed, yes, but I did not devote time and energy to the struggle. That time is passed. I will now fast, pray, and act. What became very clear to me while spending hours praying on the sidewalk was that we are not dealing with a limited evil. This is a formal institutional curse of our society. Unless and until we pledge ourselves to end the evil of abortion, the slaughter of innocent human life, we can expect to watch evil increase until it consumes us.

We who gather in vigil outside the abortuary continue praying and hoping that God will intervene on our behalf and on behalf of His innocent ones. We are not fanatics, extremists, or violent people. We are young, old and middle aged. We are of different religious faiths. We are united in our abhorrence to the destruction of innocent human life. Our hearts break at the thought of the slaughtered children and the terrible guilt that their mothers will bear for the murder of their own children.

It is time to stand for Life! We can no longer afford to stand at the sidelines and watch while others carry the burden. Let us fight evil with the weapons we have -- prayer, fasting, and action. I am asking each person that reads this blog to commit themselves to prayer, fasting and sacrifice to end the scourge of abortion in our land and in our world. One day per week abstain from food and pleasurable things. Devote extra time to prayer. Write a letter to a politician, to the editor of your local newspaper, to local clergy. Visit a local abortuary and pray for an hour on the sidewalk for the staff for their conversion, for the women for a change of heart, and for the children that they may live. Let your voices be heard in support of Life.

We are engaged in an epic struggle -- the struggle between good and evil, life and death, God and Satan. This battle we are engaged in is a battle for hearts, minds and souls. God be with us and make us victorious!