by Shawn D. Carney
As we enter another 40-Days for Life Campaign season, Shawn Carney, co-founder and CEO/President of 40DAYSFORLIFE has written another book. However, this book is different from his other books. This book is less on the 40-Days movement, and more centered on developing the spirituality of those involved in the pro-life movement. Like his previous books, this book is divided into 40 chapters, so would be an excellent resource for Lent, a 40-Days for Life campaign reflection guide, as well as being appropriate for any time of the year.
Shawn Carney addresses some of the issues I have struggled with in my pro-life ministry, which I will call how to balance pro-life work with daily life. A couple of the chapter titles will give you some flavor for the some of the topics he addresses regarding balancing pro-life efforts and the rest of your life:
Day 14 – Just Say No
Day 23 – Sundays in the Fourteenth Century
He includes several chapters to educate the reader on basic information as well as suggests several books (Day 19 – Read Your Fuel as an example.) He includes pro-life apologetics, that is, how to address the “hot button issues” like rape and abortion.
I’d recommend this book for anyone currently involved in the pro-life movement or looking to become involved. It is a wonderful resource addressing not only the major (and a few minor) points of pro-life ministry, Shawn also helps us balance our pro-life “work” with the challenges of raising a family, holding a job, and all the other facets of our lives… calling us to be not only pro-life in our agenda, but also how to respect the life of ourselves, our families, and our co-workers in the pro-life movement.
The book is available through the 40-Days for Life website: https://40daysforlifegear.com/products/to-the-heart-of-the-matter and is also stocked by Amazon and most major booksellers.