We have all heard the stories. Accident victims require multiple units of blood during emergency treatments. Surgery patients routinely need whole blood for their procedures. Cancer patients require platelets and plasma to help them cope with therapies.
These are not made-for-television story lines. They are real-life events that happen every day in communities across Alabama and across the nation. Many of us have donated in response to appeals for family and friends in need of blood. We know firsthand that giving blood is a pro-life act because without it, many would die.
Alabama medical officials now face the dilemma of life or death because of available blood. According to Red Cross officials, Alabama’s blood supply is dangerously low. Recently the blood supply was down to less than half-a-day’s normal use. At this writing, the blood supply stands at almost three-days’ use. The goal is a seven-day supply, Red Cross officials say, but that is rarely reached.
In fact, Alabamians do not give enough blood to meet the annual usage within the state. As a result, about 14,000 units of blood must be imported into Alabama to meet the 170,000 units used annually within the state.
It is not the demand for blood that contributes most to this imbalance. It is the low donation rate. Nationwide 5 percent of eligible blood donors give blood annually. In Alabama, the average is 4.7 percent.
That number is an indictment on Christian believers and, especially, an indictment on Baptists who make up almost one in four of our state’s citizens.
In a resolution dealing with organ donations, messengers to the 1988 Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) annual meeting in San Antonio said, "The values of a godless society promote self-sufficiency to such a degree that people are indifferent to the needs of others …." The resolution went on to encourage organ donation "in the spirit of stewardship, compassion for the needs of others, and alleviating suffering."
What is true for a major decision such as organ donation is equally true for a safe and almost painless experience like donating blood. Yet many allow the fear of a needle sting or the fear of an unlikely bruise or simple indifference to keep them from giving blood.
Our actions as Baptist Christians seem to be more consistent with "the values of a godless society" than with the gospel values of stewardship and compassion. Consider that about 20 percent of the blood supply is donated by 17–18-year-old high school students motivated by a service-learning requirement at school. What does this say about the motivation power of biblical values on our actions?
Historically the largest blood donor group has been the World War II generation. Red Cross officials say blood donors from that generation are dying at a rate of 1,000 a day. There is serious concern about the source of future donors.
It was encouraging to learn that several Alabama Baptist churches annually sponsor blood drives. Some sponsor drives on a quarterly basis since most donors can give a unit of blood about every eight weeks. Christian believers could be the answer.
To encourage churches to sponsor blood drives, the Red Cross developed a program aptly titled Power in the Blood. The slogan of the program acknowledges that believers can put their faith into action and save lives by giving blood.
There is "power in the blood." As Christians, we know that the greatest "power" is the saving power of the shed blood of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s cross. But there is "power in the blood" on a physical level as well. A unit of blood can be the difference between life and death. That makes giving blood a pro-life action.
As the 1988 SBC resolution indicates, giving blood demonstrates Christian compassion. It is an act of Christian stewardship as we use the gifts entrusted to us by God to advance gospel values and support life.
Every Baptist church could sponsor a Power in the Blood blood drive at least annually. Working with the Alabama and Central Gulf Coast Region Red Cross is an easy, efficient and inexpensive way to provide opportunity for church members to put their faith into action.
Churches interested in information about a Power in the Blood blood drive may contact the regional Red Cross at 205-939-6523 and ask for John Sweeney.
Be pro-life; give blood.
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