From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy:
This weekend we are completing the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
And during this past week, we were asked to unite in prayer with our Christian brothers and sisters. We were invited to pray for peace in our world, peace in our homes, and peace in our hearts. We were also invited to pray in support of the inherent value of all human life.
This past week as a nation we also honored the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., for his work in promoting the dignity of the human person regardless of skin color. One of the many quotes he is noted for is: “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” He lived a relatively comfortable life as an eloquent and effective preacher. But the Lord called him to lead a great struggle against the grave injustice of racial inequality. This eloquent man of words became a courageous man of action. At great risk to his personal safety and that of his family, Dr. King humbly responded in faith to the lead the struggle for civil rights in this country. The fight for this great cause led ultimately to his death. In honoring his legacy, we recognize the great strides that our country has made in overcoming the racial injustices of the past as hearts and minds have been changed.
As we reflect on the contributions of Dr. King, many of us may not know that he has a niece named Alveda King. She is a Christian woman. She is a mother and a grandmother. She is also a strong pro-life advocate residing here in Georgia. She often speaks about the sanctity of human life at schools and churches. Alveda King reminds us that as we acknowledge the strides our country has made in overcoming racial injustice, we cannot ignore another grave injustice that continues in our time. It is the injustice of the callous disregard for human life. This week Mrs. King has reaffirmed her belief in the sanctity and protection of all human life from conception to natural death. She has urged us to place our faith in Jesus, the Divine Healer, and to continue to strive to change hearts and minds to correct this grave injustice.
We are invited to join Mrs. King in being a witness for life. She reminds us that all life is precious and worthy of protection. We can reaffirm and reinforce this powerful message not only through our words, but more importantly through our example as we continue to strive to be the people of life the Lord has called us all to be.