Unfortunately, there are some though, even fellow sidewalk counselors, that think John was wrong in taking the picture and have condemned him for doing so. I felt I needed to chime in on this because I believe this very thing is why abortion continues to go on after almost 40 years. I may raise some eyebrows here, but I feel very strongly about this.
First of all, John is one of the very faithful sidewalk counselors in Orlando, along with Heather who was with him on this dreadful day. Those two reached out to this woman and pleaded with her, offering this young mother the help she really needed. Many comments I have read suggested what she needed was to sit down somewhere and receive counseling, not have her picture posted publicly. But if any think that John and Heather didn't try to get her to leave and go somewhere that offers real help they are sadly mistaken. This woman proudly posed for John to take this picture, she had no problem with him taking it. She also refused the help that was offered to her, she just didn't want "girls!"
It seems though, that there is alot of criticism of the picture being posted instead of the real horror of what those babies went through eventually leading to their death. They were executed for their gender. This woman went in and paid someone to kill her baby girls. That is what is so terribly wrong. I thank God John and Heather were there reaching out as they do, and I am glad this picture went viral even though this is not uncommon. Sometimes it takes pictures like this to awaken the sleeping church and world. It took pictures of the dead Jewish bodies piled, to really understand the atrocities of Hitler. It took the picture of the little Vietnamese girl on the front cover of the Life magazine for everyone to be outraged. It has taken pictures of piles of dead bodies to expose dictators involved in genocide. 
In the meantime, we rescue those unjustly sentenced to death (Provers 24:11-12), speak up for those who have no voice (Proverbs 31:8), and have nothing to do with the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them (Ephesians 5:11).
Well said Michele! You are absolutely right and the world needs to see abortion for what it really is- the violent death to an unborn child by mutilation. Sadly, the body of Christ as a majority (aka the Church) seem to have turned a blind eye and deaf ear to these babies who are being slaughtered by the thousands. How many churches do you think are in a 5 mile radius of an abortion clinic? What about the homes of professing Christians? I count it a blessing to have people like John and Heather who give up a part of their own lives so that they might serve others by ministering to broken women, offering them hope and salvation which comes through Christ alone. That is real love. Yes, the picture is sad, but what is the real reason so many are upset about this 'invasion of privacy'? I think it causes us to look inward and examine our own hearts and motives about how we view the world. Are His ways our ways? They should be. We are in-trouble the minute we call good as evil and evil as good. And if we think we should step back and allow people to secretly hurt others and thus themselves then I believe we've lost our focus on Him. Maybe our justification is that we're secretly afraid our own sins might be exposed one day for all to see.
ReplyDelete"For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.
Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops." Luke 12:2&3
I posted the picture and was blasted even by a family member who told me what I did was as bad as the abortion!! Our society has become sin friendly and even attack those who oppose the sin. God will not be played. He said it is wrong and those who sit on their couch and attack those who are pleading for the lives of the unborn will answer to the Lord Himself.
ReplyDeleteEphesians 5:11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them
We must stay true to the ONE TRUE GOD until the end.
Bless you.
Yes I agree Juda, our society has become sin friendly. What people don't understand is that this young woman as I said in the blog, proudly stood for John to take her picture. She was the one going in and paying the abortionist to kill her little innocent baby girls. How very sad, and if we don't weep at this holocaust in our land, something is wrong! God Bless!
ReplyDeletePeople wonder how the Holocaust could have happened. It happened because people were conditioned to believe that their course was justified. So too, with abortion today. Population reductionists have programmed the public to believe it's "their right to choose." The whole abortion issue was obfuscated when slick propagandists turned it into a human rights issue, one that strips unborn children of their humanity and their inherent right to life.
ReplyDeleteYes, and this is the very reason we have to treat this as what it is....a human rights issue, human beings developing in their mother's womb were stripped of all personhood on January 22, 1973 and everything fell into women's hands to decide who will live and who will die....this should never have happened. But....I truly believe that the true majority of women are terribly against this and want to work toward restoring personhood and protection to the least of these.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the example you have set by being a real life sidewalk counselor for many, many years, pleading for the lives of these babies. Bringing love, compassion, hope, help, and the gospel of Jesus Christ. May this stir the people to hate what God hates, the shedding of innocent blood. To love our neighbor, the moms and their babies, through these pregnancies and beyond.
ReplyDeleteHeather I count it great joy to be in this battle for life with you sister....to HIM be the glory!
ReplyDeleteExcellent, excellent blog post Michele. Thank you SO much for writing this, it is exactly what I needed! I have regularly been defriended and had unkind words said because of posting pictures of aborted babies, and it is SO right that the tendency is for people to be more bothered by such pictures being posted than by the truth of what is happening to these precious babies :'o( Thank you so much for speaking up for them, for their sake and for the glory of our great Savior!
ReplyDeleteThank-you so much Elly, and yes the picture seems to be more offensive then the actual act so often, which is so sad. Actually, I know so many women that have had their minds made up to have an abortion, and then when they see an aborted baby sign they just can't go through with it. This happens all the time. But the truth is that the pictures make people uncomfortable and takes them out of their comfortable lives to where they have to deal with what is really going on in America and it makes them mad. Also, there are so many post abortive women walking around and if they haven't dealt with their abortions, they get very angry when confronted with the truth. But actually, it's such a good time to really minister to these women at that point.
ReplyDeleteKeep it up, there will always be people condemning what we do, there were people that condemned abolistionists as well. But if we live for Christ, we have to stand for truth and speak out against evil. God Bless!
Pictures woke me up out of a "slumber" :(
ReplyDeleteThank God, I always thank God when my eyes are opened to the truth. God is so good to allow us to see the truth....even when it is so evil.
ReplyDelete