A RAY OF LIGHT | KAIROS GLOBAL | APRIL 2020

Author: Ann-Christy John

Intro: Ann-Christy makes a passionate appeal for every responsible person to be the voice of the unborn, looking back at her own experience while being a prayer volunteer at one of the abortion centres.

Abortion is a hot topic, also flaunted as a major feminism issue of our time. I remember excitedly attending a women’s conference at university, keen to learn about women empowerment, and being appalled listening to how casually they spoke about abortions. It seemed so hypocritical to me that on one end they were holding up feminism as a movement which spoke for those with no voice, while viciously attacking and conveniently forgetting those with literally no voice of their own – unborn children. 

I walked out of there feeling really frustrated about how they had completely dehumanised unborn babies and made them the enemy of the mother. I also wished I had had the courage to speak up even if my opinion would have stood alone in that room full of anti-life sentiment. 

It’s not always easy to stand up for life but this is an obligation and an honour we have – to defend the lives of the innocent. After university, I was glad to be introduced to ‘40 days for life’; a network of people who keep peaceful prayer vigils in front of abortion businesses around the world. They have over a million volunteers who pray outside the clinics in 63 countries and to date have helped to save the lives of nearly 17,000 babies. 

“Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Mt 25:40)

Today I want to share with you a beautiful story – one of many from 40 days for life – which highlights the importance of these prayer campaigns.

During a 40 Days for Life vigil in Birmingham, UK, a male volunteer was praying in front of the clinic when a lady who had booked in for an abortion was walking inside. He gently handed her a leaflet and they started conversing. They spoke for a long time and he pointed out to her the number of the helpline in the leaflet and told her there are people who can help her. 

The lady walked inside the clinic feeling torn by her emotions. She had no support from her own partner or parents regarding the pregnancy and here was the loving voice and the comforting words of a prayerful volunteer, who offered her the help and support she was yearning for. She carried on inside with the leaflet to read through it and then began texting the ‘helpline’ number given inside the leaflet. 

Not surprisingly, when the workers inside the clinic noticed the leaflet in her hand, they took it from her. Of course, for this business, a mother changing her mind and choosing to keep her child means a loss in revenue so any helpful material is sure to be removed.

The lady was very distraught and confused but the volunteer on the helpline was replying to her with encouraging texts. The volunteer told her that if God wants to, he can take that baby’s life, but it's not up to us to take anyone’s life. The lady was assured of the prayers that were being said for her; Facebook posts and many messages were being sent out by the volunteer on the helpline asking for prayers for this lady. A torrent of prayers flooded up towards heaven and she decided to leave the clinic that day without having an abortion.

The lady later met the volunteer who she had been texting and her heart was moved by the conversation. She decided to keep the baby regardless of the consequences. She spoke about her Catholic roots and how she was going to stop visiting psychics now and put her trust back in God. 

The next day she had a scan booked because of bleeding and at this point, she was ready to accept anything God wanted in her life. However, she miscarried the baby in her home before the scan and was heartbroken. Nonetheless, she shared that she felt fortunate to have met and held her little baby.

She wanted the pictures of her unborn baby published to encourage other women in crisis pregnancies. She said “I want my baby’s passing to help someone else realise how precious life is”. 

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 This little baby with his/her short life became the angel that brought his/her mum back to God.

It took a stranger on the street to tell this lady the truth about her baby – about the humanity of her unborn child. All her life she had not had a positive male influence and it touched her heart having a conversation with the male volunteer who convinced her to think again before aborting her baby.

There are innumerable stories like this of how the physical presence of a praying volunteer has converted hearts and saved lives. Today, when I join these prayer vigils in front of the clinics, I feel blessed to have the opportunity to be a voice for the unborn and a ray of hope for many women who come to these clinics. So I encourage you to be bold and take the chance if you have never been to pray outside a clinic or to contact your local pro-life movement to be involved in other ways.  

Ann-Christy moved to Dallas, USA from UK after her marriage, to be with her husband Alvin. She is the previous Youth Coordinator of Jesus Youth UK.