In our Christmas editorial, we dared pro-life Canadians to be audacious, to hope for a pro-life future. We repeat from that editorial, our most fervent earthly desire: “What do our hearts truly desire? Even asking this feels like touching an old wound, but we must insist on the question in spite of any pain: what do we long for most? What joy are we afraid even to dream? The answers come all too easily, for our wishes are clear and they are simple: we want a pro-life culture. We want an end to abortion. We want recognition by all that life begins at the time of conception. We want universal support for all expectant mothers. We want the illumination of our ideological opponents. And we want healing and peace for all those harmed by the blight of prenatal infanticide that our nation has endured for too long. These are the things that we desire, things that pundits would dismiss as ‘unrealistic,’ and that we ourselves unwittingly malign as idealistic and impossible. And so, confronted with their conventional wisdom, and our own disabling doubt, we must ultimately ask ourselves: dare we hope?”
Hope is not synonymous with wish. It is not merely a dream. Hope is a virtue, a gift given to us by God so that we may have the strength to persevere. With hope we will have the strength to redouble our efforts, so The Interim does again this year what we did a decade ago, and offer New Year’s resolutions for pro-lifers so we can work ever harder to gain protection for all human life.
Pro-life work is not easy; it is often gruelling spiritually, emotionally, and, sometimes, physically. We must all pray regularly for the pro-life movement that it has the strength to continue being salt and light in a broken, despondent, and all-too-often faithless world.
We must pray for legislators and judges, that they have the wisdom and courage to stand up for good laws.
We must pray for our religious leaders, that they find a way to show the path to righteousness.
We pray for families, that they withstand the onslaught of the Culture of Death not merely intact, but flourishing And we pray for women who are pregnant, that they welcome the life they nurture inside them.
We must pray daily for an end to abortion and for those working toward this end.
And then we must get up off our knees and work in this world without becoming of this world. We have numerous suggestions, and there is no reason to limit yourself to one or two. May we be so bold as to suggest you add one of these to your list of pro-life activities each month.
- Write your federal elected officials and urge them to provide protection for the unborn.
- Inform your pastor about pro-life events.
- Thank your pastors when they speak against abortion or euthanasia.
- Visit shut-ins and those in nursing homes.
- Organize pro-life events and speakers at your school or in your community group.
- Refer abortion-minded women to local crisis-pregnancy counselling centres.
- Write your provincial elected officials and urge them to defund abortion.
- Write your provincial elected officials and urge them to enact conscience protection for healthcare workers.
- Volunteer with your local pro-life group or crisis pregnancy center.
- Respond generously to fundraising appeals from pro-life groups.
- Donate used maternity and children’s clothes, and new diapers to a CPC.
- Wear the little feet pin, rose pins, or other pro-life identification. They are conversation starters, and we need to start the conversation about abortion.
- Talk about the issues with your family, friends, co-workers and neighbours.
- Write a letter to the editor about abortion or euthanasia when these issues are in the news.
- Call in to talk radio programs when life issues arise.
- Copy or print off Interim articles to share with people – online and in person.
- Picket outside an abortuary regularly – once a week or once a month.
- Honk and show your support for others who are picketing for life.
- Take part in 40 Days for Life.
- Take part in LifeChain.
- Attend the National March for Life, or your regional March for Life.
- If you can’t go, help someone else go by paying for them or caring for their children.
- Donate your professional services to pro-life groups.
- Become a liaison between your church and your local pro-life group.
- Put a pro-life bumper sticker or licence plate frame on your car.
- Create a pro-life writing club to help write letters to send to MPs or the newspaper.
- Watch your language – don’t refer to the unborn as “fetuses,” or the incapacitated as “vegetables.”
- Sign pro-life petitions.
- Read LifeSiteNews daily.
- Join a pro-life club at a school or university.
- Help organize a local Campaign Life Coalition forum.
- Distribute “Defund Abortion” pamphlets.
- Join a political party to support pro-life candidates at the riding level.
- Help pro-life candidates during elections.
- Vote for the pro-life candidate.
- Invite a friend or family member to join you in every pro-life activity.
As we noted 10 years ago when we encouraged everyone to resolve to do more to fight against abortion and euthanasia: “Creating a culture of life will not be easy, but there is much more that nearly all of us can do. When we meet our Maker, what will we be able to answer to the question, ‘what have you done for the least of my brothers and sisters’?”
The items listed above make an excellent start.
