Did you notice the standing ovations given in various places when Roe v. Wade’s demise was announced? How appropriate! We stand and applaud our Gracious God. But we should also applaud each life advocate who has spent years, even decades, advocating for God’s gift of life. Lutheran Family Service applauds you and your life-affirming actions. You are a hero! We applaud your support of Lutheran Family Service to allow us to affirm life in so many ways.

Oh, we know you do not see yourself as the hero type but as a servant of the Lord of Life. That makes you even more heroic in our book! But it is okay once in a while to receive acknowledgement for your long-standing service promoting and protecting God’s gift of life as a life advocate.

We read in Leviticus 25:

⁸ “You shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the time of the seven weeks of years shall give you forty-nine years. ⁹ Then you shall sound the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month. On the Day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout all your land. ¹⁰ And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants.”

We labored for forty-nine years under Roe and 2023 would have been year fifty. But it will not be! We have a Jubilee instead, a trumpet to sound and liberty to proclaim throughout the land! Do so! Celebrate! Praise and thank our life-giving Lord. Enjoy a standing “O”! (By the way, January 22, 2023, the would-be anniversary of Roe, falls on a Sunday!  Make it a Jubilee Sunday!)

But now back to work. For as you know, the liberty we proclaim is not complete liberty from the killing of unborn children. But we can proclaim that those who champion and celebrate such killing have lost the high ground. No more can they retreat and take a stand on a faulty claim of a federal constitutional right. Now they must deal with the voice of the people. That would be our voice and your voice as life advocates. That would be our Gospel-motivated voices.

For we have, and always will have, the high ground. We find it just outside the walls of Jerusalem, the place of the skull, Golgotha. There we saw a life-giving death. And nearby in an empty tomb, we saw death giving way to life, new life now, resurrected life forever. From this high ground comes the message we proclaim throughout the land. This high ground moves us to boldness in defending all life and showing compassion to all struggling with life.

As a life advocate, the need for your voice will be greater now. People, it seems, are being more vocal about their views. We may find increased tension; even in our congregations.

From our high ground of Golgotha comes the compassionate action we share throughout the land. Amidst the ever-growing list of companies paying for travel to have children killed, we need to be all the more ready to share the other choices, choices for good, choices for life, choices for doing what is right. No travel needed! We are right here. In fact, at Lutheran Family Service, we will come to you with love and help in any way and every way possible.

It’s okay to receive some acknowledgement once in a while. You deserve it. So, listen to the standing “O” life advocate. Take a little bow, enjoy it . . . . . . . . . Okay, long enough! Now back to serving the Lord of Life with Gospel-motivated voices and actions louder and more compassionate than ever.

Consider making a gift to support the countless hours spent by Lutheran Family Service Life Advocates at the capital building to promote life-affirming legislation. Not only do we fight the good fight for God’s truth for life in the public square, we give real help and real support to women facing unplanned pregnancies. We help abortion-vulnerable women create a better more stable life and guide her to make life-affirming choices for her and her unborn child. Whether she chooses to parent or place for adoption, we continue our support as long as she needs. All of this is provided to her at no cost because of our faithful supporters who want to help these abortion-vulnerable women choose life for their precious little babies. Most important of all, please keep these efforts in your prayers.

Rev. Dr. Jim Lamb
Life Advocate
Lutheran Family Service

Want to know the facts of abortion restrictions in Iowa? Check out the article Post Roe v. Wade Abortion Ban Facts by Emma Squire, Unplanned Pregnancy Counselor & Adoption Caseworker for Lutheran Family Service.

Want to know what you can do right now to help abortion-vulnerable women in Iowa? Read the article 5 Takeaways for Iowa, Pro-Life Christians by Kim Laube, Director of Life Ministries for Lutheran Family Service.