I Have Come to Give You Life
“Arise, my dove and come: Winter is now past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth.” ”
Here in Georgia it looks like spring today, but when I venture outside it feels like winter. In this quiet season, after Christmas but before Lent, life seems dormant and quiet. The barren trees sway in the windy rain- cold sheets of rain that aren’t cold enough to give us snow but just keep supplying muddy days and in my house the smell of a wet dog.
This series is about life that is abundant even in dark days. Like the crocus that blooms as it pushes its way through a thin blanket of snow- God’s gift of life is always full of possibilities, possibilities which we may have forgotten in the gloom of winter.
In the spirit of approaching winter with spring in our hearts, we are beginning this series with the topic of birth- specifically the value of life, the value of each and every unborn child.
This is an unpleasant topic for many. Some of you would rather walk my wet dog than read about any topic relating to abortion because it’s a gross topic. Maybe, you think this doesn’t affect you personally? People have messy lives and this may have been something that has affected you, too much. Others feel helpless and don’t know what they personally can do about it. Besides, pro-lifers can seem like religious nuts. Most American have mixed views on abortion and it’s not something many of us want to discuss at coffee hour--even I don’t.
But maybe we should. Recent headlines stated that abortion was the leading cause of death in the world last year- 41 million induced abortions which dwarfed every other cause of death. Shocked by that 41 million number? The WHO actually thinks it’s too small- it’s likely that there are 50 million abortions every year in the world.
Maybe that’s something we should care about, discuss, and maybe even take some kind of action to stop this madness. Read Angie’s experience about going to the March for Life and consider joining us there this year. Come along with Edna as she reviews the movie Gosnell - America’s most prolific serial killer and understand why looking the other way leads to abuse and horror.Pray for God’s mercy on our troubled world and that He will protect life in the womb. Be open to ways that each of us can help others see His mercy and grace and cultivate a culture which embraces life.
Other resources:
http://ww1.antiochian.org/1135094000
http://www.zoeforlifeonline.org/