Remembering the 50 Million

It’s hard to think clearly about 50 million.

It’s a number so big that we don’t really know what it means. 

Take one baby and ponder that child for a moment. Look at his eyes, his ears, reach out and touch his tiny fingers. Hold that baby in your arms and think what a miracle it is that even one baby should enter the world. 

Now multiply that baby until there is a room filled with babies. Some are bigger, some smaller. There are boy babies and girl babies, and babies from every possible background. Some are healthy, some are not. 

Each one is made in the image of God. Each one is precious to the Lord.

Now imagine a dozen rooms filled with babies. Then fill up a football stadium not with cheering fans but with tiny babies crying and gurgling and looking around wondering where is Mom and what is all this fuss about?

Now take a city the size of New York City and take all the adults out and then fill it up with babies. Then add five more cities the size of New York City, each filled with beautiful babies. 

Babies everywhere!

Now imagine that every baby you just imagined suddenly died. You can walk from Manhattan all the way through Brooklyn and you don’t hear a sound anywhere. All the babies have died. Walk through every borough of New York City six times over and it is the same everywhere.  

That’s the 50 million babies killed in America since abortion was legalized in 1973. It happened on this very day 39 years ago.

When you go to church this morning, peek into the nursery or go to the children’s department and watch the boys and girls playing. Now imagine a church without children. 

It is unthinkable, but in 1973 the unthinkable happened.

On this Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, we pause to reflect on what has happened in our land and to remember the 50 million. By God’s grace and with his help, we pledge to stand up for the unborn.

May we not grow weary in this good work. Those who give voice to the voiceless and speak out for the helpless are doing the work of Jesus. May God grant us tenacious, winsome courage to fight the good fight in whatever ways we can, until the day comes when abortion is ended and the babies are safe once again. 

You can reach the author at ray@keepbelieving.com. Click here to sign up for the free weekly email sermon.