April 2005
Past & Present: Sanctity of Life

Friends from the past and Friends today respond to the written word of God in the course of daily living. From John Woolman in the 1800s to Samantha in the 21st century, God speaks to men, women, boys, and girls across the US and around the world. Read these two stories for more insights on God’s direction for life through the written word in the Scriptures.

Each year, on the Sunday nearest the historic Roe v. Wade decision of January 22, 1973, which legalized abortion in America, our church has held a “Sanctity of Life” service. This year’s speaker was Samantha—health professional, mother, elder in her church, activist, and victim of abortion.

Samantha shared how she did not have the sympathetic reasons some give for this life-changing decision: rape, poverty, or damaged fetus. Her abortion was purely for career and convenience, like those of other women with whom she has talked in the years since. Initially, after she had her abortion, she would not talk about it. She repressed her painful emotions and then went numb of all feeling. She preferred numbness over pain.

Like a frostbitten hand, there was great immobilization that accompanied this numbness. She wasn’t able to empathize with others even though working in a helping profession. She wasn’t able to help others who were victims like herself.

She tried to replace everything old in her life with everything new: a new marriage, children, career, home, and location. None of it helped. She realized she could not handle this herself. She needed God.

She reached out to a Christian coworker. There, as she poured out the pain of her past, she experienced the reality of James 5:16: “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed.” The darkness of silence and hiding all those years was flooded with the healing light of Christ.

Samantha has rededicated her life to serving Christ and experiencing his forgiveness from the sins of her past— all of them. “I now feel clean, whole and free; free to feel again. Before I could only cry convulsively in jagged jerks and sobs. Now I weep tears of release and joy,” exclaims Samantha.

Before, she was frozen in her nightmare of numbness. Now she is free to help others “who have been there, done that, and got the scars to prove it.” Jesus told Peter he was set free to help his brothers in Luke 22:31-32. “[Peter], Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you . . . that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

In much the same way, Samantha knows she has been freed for a purpose—helping other women like herself deal with post-abortion syndrome, which is nearly universal among those who have had abortions.

If you know anyone who may be struggling with some of the same things Samantha has described, feel free to contact her through the Alliance Pregnancy Center at (330) 821-7283. The Center is there to serve all in the cause of life.

-by Rick Sams. He has pastored the Alliance Evangelical Friends Church (Ohio) since 1978. Rick is a graduate of Malone College and Ashland Seminary. He is a weekly columnist in the local newspaper. Rick has been married to Joyce for 28 years. They have three (mostly grown) children.