People of faith and conscience in 273 cities across the globe are uniting in 40 days of prayer and fasting to call for an end to the injustice of abortion.
40 Days for Life, an internationally coordinated mobilisation campaign that focuses on the spiritual aspects of the battle to end abortion, was launched on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 10, and will go on until Palm Sunday, March 20. This year's campaign involves over 105,000 participants and over 5,200 churches, and is actively done in 32 countries.
The organiser said the campaign aims "to bring together the body of Christ in a spirit of unity during a focused 40-day campaign of prayer, fasting and peaceful activism with the purpose of repentance.''
"We have the opportunity to cooperate with God in carrying out His work. We put our faith in His will and prayerfully discern how He wishes us to respond,'' the organisation's spokesman said as reported by WND.
The campaign will include a peaceful 40-day, non-stop, round-the-clock prayer visit outside a Planned Parenthood centre or other abortion facility in local communities.
There will be massive community involvement and volunteers are expected to conduct door-to-door petitions and education drives in an effort to reach out to every household in a community, the organisation said.
Volunteers will also be distributing informational flyers to the participants during the period to raise awareness about the local crisis of abortion and invite citizens to sign a petition in support of the sanctity of human life. Participants can show support by wearing wristbands, placing signs in their yards, or displaying bumper stickers on their vehicles.
"These activities can help a community rapidly identify hundreds or thousands of pro-life supporters, who are then encouraged to pray and join other local pro-life efforts,'' said the spokesman.
"We are eager to join together with people of faith and conscience from hundreds of cities in numerous countries to pray for an end to abortion,'' said Margarita Szechenyi, coordinator of the local campaign in Atlanta, Georgia.
"Abortion takes a tremendous toll in our city, but many people aren't even aware of it. We will share the facts with as many people as possible during this campaign,'' she added.
In 2010, the campaign reportedly attracted attention when a Tennessee abortion doctor was arrested for brandishing a handgun at three 40 Days for Life participants demonstrating outside a South Carolina abortion clinic. There were no injuries during the encounter, reports said.
Cumulative data showed that from 2007 through the end of 2015, the campaign included 675,000 participants in 32 countries. Over 11,000 abortions were reportedly averted as a result.
40 Days for Life was originally started in 2004 by a group in Bryan-College Station, Texas. The group has official affiliates active in 32 countries. It was also credited with closing 64 abortion clinics and encouraging 127 abortion workers to quit.
