Laws are a reflection of a society's values. Abortion is flourishing in our culture that is spiritually deaf, mute, and blind. The battle against abortion, therefore, must be fought on the spiritual plane. I believe our best armor is to become, ourselves, reflections of our glorious God.

      For followers of Christ to accomplish this, we must "walk in the same manner as He walked" (I JOHN 2:6). Belief in God cannot be considered adequate since "the demons also believe and shudder" (JAMES 2:19). Our first and greatest commandment is to "Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy mind" (MATTHEW 22:37-39). Jesus said, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me" (JOHN 14:21). To keep that greatest most critical commandment, therefore, we must keep the rest of the commandments.

      There are over 1000 commandments in the New Testament, and many are difficult to keep: to love our enemies, pray blessings on those who persecute us, forgive all those who sin against us, follow the scriptural standards for sexual purity (including with our eyes and minds), avoid careless and unwholesome words, regard each other as more important than ourselves, humble ourselves, and give up whatever is necessary to follow Him. To keep all these is not possible by our own strength but requires our transformation as we abide in our Messiah. That transformation should be progressive and so dramatic that looking back on each year we should be amazed at who we were a year ago.

      Thus transformed, we represent our God of unfathomable love who perfectly combines justice and mercy. Transformation of lives leads to transformed marriages, transformed communities, etc. Unprecedented spiritual revival is needed to change the abortion laws in a society like ours that is in such deep spiritual crisis. I hope you'll join the prolife rally this Saturday 1/18 (1:45 at Depot Park, then 3pm at Central Bible Church 1st Ave E and 9th St) in humble, hopeful, fervent prayer.

Annie Bukacek MD