Abby Johnson, a former director for Planned Parenthood, opens the forward to the book, 40 Days for Life: Discover What God Has Done, Imagine What He Can Do, with the questions, “Does it really make a difference? Are my prayers really working?” The 250 pages that follow are proof that the answer to both these questions is a resounding yes!
The book shares the stories of babies saved by the efforts of the brave men and women, young and old, religious and lay, with the courage to stand on the front lines defending life peacefully praying at the doorstep of abortion clinics here in Providence and around the country. The book tells the tales of the Moms and Dads who realized they had a true choice and chose to save the life of their unborn child. What all these stories have in common is that the joyful ending began with a peaceful encounter on a sidewalk.
Pope Francis’ recent comments have been misquoted, taken out of context and misunderstood in saying the pontiff is calling the warriors off the sidewalks for a more pastoral approach to addressing the tragedy of abortion. This could not be further from the truth. The Holy Father is asking the faithful to support the efforts toward a culture of life by supplementing the sidewalk soldiers with education and outreach to the young and old before and after they are faced with this life altering decision. The answer is still yes. Prayers and presence, speaking and being Christ in our world, do make a difference.
