Killing Fields

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Four and a half years ago I had the opportunity to go to Cambodia as one of my IGo ministry trips. Prior to this trip, I knew very little about this country or its history. Once there, however, I was deeply moved and impacted when I learned about the horrific genocide that Cambodia was recovering from. The communist Khmer Rouge had reigned there only ten years before I was born, and was responsible for somewhere around 1.7 million deaths. Even though we didn't get an opportunity to visit the actual Killing Fields (mass graves), we did see memorials and other evidence of their brutal deaths throughout our stay.


This past week marked the 40th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade. Although I've grown up knowing what this Supreme Court decision has meant for our country, its been easy to forget and diminish the cold harsh reality that America has actually killed 50 million babies and counting since then. Its another genocide. And if your looking only at numbers, its a far more devastating genocide then then one that happened in Cambodia.

But we have no killing fields. We have no mass graves to pay our respects to. There are few memorials to remind us.

 I read an article in the New York Times that said "Only 18 percent of Americans think abortion is a 'critical issue facing the country'. The general public seems, by turns, apathetic and accepting of the pro-choice status quo." My stomach lurched as I thought about that. I may be one of those 18%, but yet it is so easy to develop an attitude of immunity. I am loathe to confess that I, too, have become far more apathetic then I would ever want to believe possible.

John Piper is a man who is passionate about this subject, and I recommend the following post that he wrote. http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/we-know-they-are-killing-children-all-of-us-know. He has lots of other good material about abortion as well.

So I guess the question on my heart is how do I react to this ever-occurring tragedy? How can I increase my conviction, raise awareness, and make a difference? How do I not become weary of what seems like a losing battle? How can I develop attitudes of hope and not become immune to the tragedy? I don't have the answer, at least not today. I know the most immediate thing I can do is pray. And I struggle with that answer, because even prayer - powerful prayer - seems so futile in this situation. Many hearts are hard as rock when it comes to this topic and 3,500 more babies will be killed in America by the end of today. And another 3,500 tomorrow.

But I will pray anyway... I pray that God will show me ways to care, that He will enable me to take every ability and advantage I have to oppose this silent genocide, and that I can stay engaged and not grow weary. 

Comments

  1. KarenJanuary 23, 2013 at 5:30 PM

    Excellent post-I was reading some articles last week and was chagrined by how quickly I forget the tragedy of abortion.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gary MartinJanuary 25, 2013 at 8:14 AM

    Gloria, One way that I would suggest getting involved and making a difference is to check if you have a local crisis pregnancy center and volunteer with them in helping women who are at risk.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gloria YoderJanuary 26, 2013 at 2:23 PM

      Hi Gary, Yeah, actually I am in the process of doing that. I will be attending a training in February.

      Delete

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