Pro-life speaker shares how family life
and activism really make a difference
“We are called to be light and salt in our society. As the courts chip away our rights, it is clearly time for us to get real bright, and real salty!” Kathie McGann told listeners in Moncton recently, during a talk called “Changing the world from your kitchen sink.”
The home-schooling mother of five from Parry Sound, Ont. was on a speaking tour of Eastern Canada in October, promoting pro-life and pro-family activism.
She emphasized the primary importance of relying on prayer and God’s direction. “You can be sure He will provide what you need to do it whatever He asks of you,” she stressed. This approach has led McGann to many unexpected activities, even recently baking 118 pies as a pro-life fundraiser. “It may just be possible to bake your way to heaven!” she laughs.
To work effectively for life and family, it is essential to know your facts inside and out. Information in the popular media is notoriously unreliable. For the real story, McGann recommends The Interim, REAL Women’s Reality, Focus on the Family’s Citizen, the Reportnewsmagazine, and similar reliable papers.
Preparing to meet with a politician, McGann once divided up the pages of Reality, and gave each team member a page to study. “We ended up knowing more about the topic than he did,” she recalled. “We were awesome.”
If you can’t convince someone on moral grounds, you can often win with an economic argument. For example, knowing that over 50 per cent of a donation to UNICEF goes to administration, you can confidently state, “Most of your donation doesn’t feed a baby in Africa; it feeds some guy in an office in Toronto.” For many, that speaks louder than your concern about the organization’s promotion of abortion.
Audience member Ron LeBlanc later expanded on this suggestion. “We should use statistics more often. If you know even one statistic – for example, that only four per cent of Canadians in the Toronto market regularly listen to CBC – go tell that one statistic to one person. That person will be sure to tell at least one more. And she’ll tell one more, and on and on that little piece of information will go.”
Write letters, instead of just griping to your neighbor, urged McGann. Politicians count them and pay attention. “They interpret one letter as the equivalent of 1,000 people with the same view – because they know 999 won’t get off the couch to write.”
McGann herself frequently writes to newspapers, including those she encountered on this tour. “Letters don’t have to be perfect, or long,” she stressed. “No one is too young or too old to write. So speak up – you just might change the country.”
Another way to keep politicians well and accurately informed on issues is to arrange to help them stuff envelopes in your own home. As you (and your family) work with them, numerous opportunities will arise for raising pertinent questions or introducing important pieces of information.
Churches provide a central place where a target audience gathers regularly. “Don’t just focus on your own denomination. All church-goers are good people, generally willing to be educated on issues,” noted McGann. “So arm them with information, then encourage and support them.”
When she moved to Parry Sound, McGann promptly introduced herself to the pastors of every denomination. She was careful to maintain the contact by bringing them notices for their church bulletin every few weeks.
She recommended asking prayer groups in every denomination all over town to pray for the success of events, from yard sales to Life Chains to meetings with politicians. “It’s a way to stay in touch with those groups, to keep the upcoming event before them, and to reap the spiritual benefit of their prayers.”
She urged listeners to make a special effort to connect with clergy of all denominations on a more personal level, since priests and pastors and their families also need to be informed, educated and supported. “Invite them to your home for family meals. Show your good faith and friendship, and win their cooperation, by contributing to their craft fairs and bake sales and other activities. Bake your way into their lives!”
“Committing to work for life and family doesn’t mean you have to lead the band,” she summarized. “Just become informed and talk to the people that come into your life. They will influence others. And one heart at a time, you really can change the world from your kitchen sink.”
