Today is Good Friday — the day Christians mark the crucifixion and death of the Son of God. In memory of Christ, 40 Days for Life volunteers in a number of cities are planning to pray at abortion centers today.
For instance, every member of the 40 Days for Life team in Everett, Washington is invited to pray outside the abortion facility today.
The same invitation has gone out in Syracuse, New York. Not only is it Good Friday, but the local Planned Parenthood center in Syracuse is doing a “pledge-a-picket” campaign.
Abortion businesses will do this as an attempt to get pro-life people to stay away. They say that the vigil participants are raising money for them.
In most cases, though, this is a desperation move to raise funds to make up for lost business, as clients see people praying and become convinced that abortion is not the answer.
In Houston, Texas, Planned Parenthood is also doing “pledge-a-picket,” going so far as to say that the people praying are hired hands who are being paid a salary and benefits to show up for “40 Days of Harassment.”
In other locations, the abortion businesses spent the final days of the 40 Days for Life campaign trying to bully vigil participants. In one city, the facility’s staff tried to convince a police officer to keep people far away, even though city laws hold no restriction on peaceful activities in the public right-of-way.
In Boulder, Colorado, the abortionist wrote a lengthy letter to the editor denouncing the “harassment” caused by the throngs of people outside his business.
The daily newspaper went to investigate, and found people quietly praying on a cold day when a light drizzle was falling. Still, the abortionist is demanding that the city council impose a 500-foot buffer zone to keep the prayer volunteers far away.
This is to be expected; Christ Himself said we would face this sort of thing. In Matthew’s gospel, He said, “Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”
Paula in Tucson offered a nugget of truth that I think is worth sharing. As she prayed at the 40 Days for Life vigil, she realized something. “I looked at the no trespass signs,” she said, “and I laughed — because God was there.”
God IS there — in the abortion facility.
God IS there — when life begins. That point became quite clear to Christina, who suffered a miscarriage in the ninth week of her pregnancy.
“The doctor wanted my husband and I to come and see for ourselves that this little 9-week-old unborn child was a real baby,” she said.
“I know this is hard for you,” said the physician, “but as a doctor, I am appalled when people tell me it is not yet a baby.”
“And as we looked at this little baby,” Christina said, “we could see the little heart through the opaque flesh, the hands and feet formed but still like a little web, the head larger than the rest of the body.” It was, in a word, amazing — God’s miracle.
“It was a pleasure and a joy to join in the vigil this year and I will never miss another one,” said Christina. “You feel the presence of God at every minute.”
If you are able to, take time to pray at an abortion center today, Good Friday. Remember Christ. Remember the babies, the mothers, the fathers, the abortion facility staff.
And remember — God is there.
Yours for Life,
David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life
PS: We’re still collecting reports from the 167 cities that just concluded their 40 Days for Life campaigns, but the updated total of babies saved from abortion during these 40 days of prayer and fasting is …
… 532 (that we know of)!
