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February 3, 2019 – Special Edition Blog
Not Forgotten For the one whose song we won’t hear For the one whose voice disappeared For the melody held in your heart And for all of your dreams torn apart
You are not forgotten We are fighting for you We’ve answered your silent cry to be your voice Your life was not for nothing We celebrate your heartbeat The price that you paid is a fire that’ll change this world
We can’t go on like it’s OK Turn a blind eye and just look away For the sake of all that’s pure and true We will lay our lives down just for you
Jesus heal our land You’re the answer, You’re the answer We return our hearts to You You’re the answer
They are not forgotten We are fighting for them We’ve answered their silent cry to be their voice Their life was not for nothing We celebrate their heartbeat The price that they paid is a fire that’ll change this world –Phil King
Phil King wrote this and put it to music in the wee hours of the night. It followed his heartbreak in reading a post on social media about the Governor of NY signing a bill to extend abortion to the third trimester of a baby’s life. He cried as he wrote. He prayed. He poured out his heart. He declared the heart of God as he was experiencing it.
In my book, Under the Broom Tree: Contemplations on Life and Service, I wrote in the preface:
There are times when sleep seems to evade me and I simply need to get up and contemplate; get in some thinking, planning, and deal with some ideas that have kept me awake . . . the Holy Spirit is active and pointedly honest with me.
Peter writes: “In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect [reverence]” (1 Peter 3:15, ESV).
I experienced, in my ministry years, several opportunities to counsel young women in their concerns over abortion – that passage is so helpful. One cannot replace the wisdom of God, nor can one replace what God says with their own “wise” remarks. Worldly wisdom cannot nearly approach what God has to say. We, when we exclude God’s truth, are only left with our own opinions.
One morning, I was at my desk in a church in Pennsylvania, studying for the message God was placing upon my heart. It was early in my pastoral ministry. I was alone, with the church door unlocked (as was my custom). I looked up, startled, with a young woman standing in the open door of my office. She was in tears and asked if I might have time to speak with her.
It was about her children. She told me that she had five abortions and then discovered that they were actually children. It was over an hour until she could compose herself to tell me her story.
My heart just cried at her experiences. She was never sure of the father of each child. She wondered if God would ever love a person like her. 1 Peter 3:15 is quite clear of God’s expectation of believers. In addition, I was studying 2 Corinthians 5:17f and clearly understood God’s intent that we (every believer) be ready for the ministry of reconciliation, as His ambassadors.
The events of the last weeks in our nation has reminded me of how desperately evil is our culture with regard to the value of life. It has jarred my heart once again. I cannot help but to pen some words and ask you to pray for our nation, and specifically pray for those making decisions that affect all of us – and to pray for those misguided in thinking that the child they are aborting is simply some sort of tissue. People need truth – with gentleness and respect.
The signing, and celebrating, of an “advanced” legislation regarding abortion has spurred other states in our nation to attempt the same kind of evil legislation.
People are misled so that they might think the baby they carry is not a child; however, that is blatantly untrue. To find out it is true devastates the mother (and often the father). The young mother in my office had the privilege of being introduced to the One who died for her; the One who was chasing her with His grace.
Did you notice the image at the beginning of this blog? Look at it once more. The caption on the original is: “The first person to recognize Jesus was an unborn child; a gift from the Father.”
And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (Luke 1:41-42)
What will you do with someone who wants to speak to you with regard to a child they want to abort, or a child (or children) they have aborted? Be gentle and respectful, for even they are made in God’s image.
I have never heard a mother-to-be or a couple make an announcement that they are “with fetus;” they announce, instead, “We are having a baby.” Celebrate life with them.
