by Lisa McInerney,
SAFL-Lincoln program director and member of North American Martyrs Parish in Lincoln
Does the scourge of abortion tug at your heart? Does it bother you that in 2020 there were about 12 abortions per week at Planned Parenthood of Lincoln (PP-Lincoln)? Do you worry about the souls of women who have had abortions, of those who have aided them in obtaining abortions, and of those who work in the abortion industry? Are you wondering what you can do to help change all of this?
Prayer
First, we have to start with prayer. Everything begins and ends with God. We have to ask Him to help us discern our “holy discontent” which Bill Hybels defines on the cover of his book by the same title as “the one aspect of this broken world that … you just can’t stand.” For some of us, our holy discontent is abortion, and for others it is something else in the world that needs our attention. If you feel called by God to help end abortion, this article can give you a couple suggestions for action.
The ideas I will mention are rooted in prayer and faith. Our prayer needs to guide our actions. Our actions should be fruit from our prayer life. If you haven’t yet developed a prayer life, I suggest starting with daily reading and reflecting upon Holy Scripture. Buy a subscription to Word Among Us or Magnificat, and spend time with the daily readings and reflections outside of Mass. Read slowly and ponder the words. Ask God what He is saying to you through the Scriptures. Ask Him what He wants of you. Then also go to Mass and partake of the sacraments as much as you can.
If your prayer guides you to get involved in the local pro-life movement, there are many opportunities available to you. I am on the local leadership teams for both Sidewalk Advocates for Life (SAFL) and 40 Days for Life (40DFL), so I will focus on those ministries. SAFL and 40DFL are very compatible ministries that have been successful in closing abortion facilities in other cities. The founder of SAFL is a former campaign strategist for 40DFL. The two organizations encourage participation in each other’s ministries. Both take place primarily on the sidewalks outside abortion facilities.
Sidewalk advocates
SAFL’s mission is to train, equip, and support communities across the U.S. and the world in sidewalk advocacy: to be the hands and feet of Christ, offering loving, life-affirming alternatives to all present at abortion facilities, thereby eliminating demand and ending abortion. Since SAFL began nationally in 2014, it has grown to more than 200 locations which have reported over 16,400 babies saved, 3,917 hopeful saves, 80 workers who have left the industry, and 27 closed abortion facilities.
SAFL-Lincoln’s goal is for sidewalk outreach to be present outside PP-Lincoln during all of its open business hours, but currently only has enough volunteers to cover most of Tuesday and a bit of Wednesday. Abortions are performed in Lincoln on Tuesdays.
SAFL-Lincoln serves as a gateway from PP-Lincoln to Lincoln’s three pregnancy resource centers (Women’s Care Center, Pregnancy Center, and Birthright) and other life-affirming services. Anyone is welcome to pray on the sidewalk outside PP-Lincoln anytime, and to observe SAFL-Lincoln’s advocacy methods on Tuesdays 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesdays 6 to 8 p.m. SAFL-Lincoln’s next training will be Saturday, Feb. 19 from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. at Lincoln Right to Life’s Pro-Life Center (PLC) at 5632 S. 48th St., Unit 4 in Lincoln, behind Women's Care Center. Please go to sidewalkadvocates.org for more information on SAFL and to get in contact with the local program director for training details.
Forty Days
40DFL is an internationally-coordinated, 40-day campaign that aims to end abortion locally through prayer and fasting, community outreach, and a peaceful all-day vigil in front of abortion businesses.
There are two 40-day campaigns held each year, one in the fall and one in the spring during Lent. There have been 8,028 local campaigns held in 64 nations during which 20,372 lives have been saved, 229 abortion workers have quit, and 114 abortion centers have closed. There would be some overlap between these numbers and the SAFL stats since many locations have both ministries.
The next 40DFL campaign will be held March 2 through April 10. The goal for the 40DFL campaign in Lincoln is to have at least two volunteers praying on the sidewalk for 14 hours per day (6 a.m. to 8 p.m.) for 40 days in a row. Some cities cover 24 hours per day, and some even do 365 days of the year! So, I know we can cover 14 hours per day for 40 days and grow from there. To get involved, sign up for emails and sidewalk hours at 40daysforlife.com/Lincoln.
If you are not someone who can physically pray on the sidewalk between the hours of 6 a.m. and 8 p.m., then you can participate in 40DFL by praying from home or church, or anywhere, but the online signup is for those on the sidewalk so that we also have a public witness. And don’t forget to fast from something in addition to your prayer. Christ told us some demons can only be driven out by prayer and fasting!
Invite pro-life friends of all faiths
Both SAFL and 40DFL are ecumenical in nature, so please invite your pro-life friends of all faiths. All prayerful and peaceful people are encouraged to join us. We discourage signage that is condemning or graphic, and encourage an atmosphere that is comfortable for families to participate. The goal is to reach out in love to those who are caught up in the culture of death, and also to bring awareness to our community that abortion is happening here. We have resource cards that list life-affirming options available in the PLC, just inside the entrance. Anyone praying or advocating on the sidewalk is welcome to pick up and distribute the yellow resource cards.
Recently, God put me in the right place at the right time to help Him save a baby’s life and to also save the mother from a lifetime of regret. I offered two young women a resource card as they were driving into the Planned Parenthood parking lot. The driver rolled down her window and accepted the card, so I asked if either of them had an appointment at PP. The driver said her friend in the passenger seat had just found out she was pregnant but didn’t actually have an appointment. I then gave her a gift bag, which we have ready in the PLC for distribution by trained advocates, and told her about Women’s Care Center across the street. They made a U-turn in the parking lot, and drove directly across the street and entered WCC. Praise the Lord!
