Claire and I and many of our close friends have participated in a peaceful, prayerful pro-life witness and sidewalk counseling outside abortion mills for over 40 years. Here are 5 quick reasons why.
1) The presence of peaceful, prayerful pro-life advocates outside an abortion clinic has a profound and ongoing effect on those with abortion appointments, on the abortionist and his/her employees, on the people walking or driving by the business. It provides effective (and memorable) messages regarding the wrongness of abortion, the availability of alternatives, and the offer of forgiveness of abortion sins through the mercy of Christ’s gospel.
2) A pro-life witness outside an abortion business means that men and women — even those who ultimately decide to commit the abortion — will forever remember that someone was there to plead with them, “No, don’t do this. Please let us help you and your baby.” They will retain in the memory of their abortion experience that someone was standing up for their child…and for the mother herself — for her spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being. Such memories provide a persuasive incentive for repentance, to seek forgiveness and healing from the God Who delivered His Son to die for mankind’s sins.
3) Being regularly at an abortion clinic and coming face to face with the persons availing themselves of the demonic opportunities for child sacrifice fuels, as nothing else can, one’s commitment to fight against abortion on all other fronts. Political action? Spiritual intercession? Crisis pregnancy work? Pro-life education? Chastity campaigns? Efforts to de-fund Planned Parenthood? Medical ministries? Use of the arts to rebuild a culture of life, love, and justice?
All of these (and more) are profoundly stimulated by a person’s being there at the very doors of death, being regularly reminded by just what the stakes are in this fight.
4) Pro-lifers outside abortion mills save lives by dissuading people from aborting their children…even when they are not aware of their impact. For instance, a winsome pro-life witness challenges the consciences of would-be abortion clients, oftentimes encouraging them to forego their appointment and drive on home. Even clients inside the place will sometimes change their minds and leave. And, of course, among the dozens or hundreds or thousands who drive by and see peaceful protestors who carry beautiful pictures of babies and signs with such kindhearted messages as “Choose Life,” “Mother and Child: Love Them Both,” and “Life: What a Beautiful Choice,” there will be countless numbers of people who will be moved to reconsider their opinions on abortion. Do you not expect that the Lord carefully tends those seeds of truth thus sown? Do you doubt that people will take what they’ve seen and heard into future meditations, conversations, and especially, abortion temptations? Oh yes; the presence of pro-life advocates outside a place where preborn boys and girls are barbarically destroyed will provide illumination and spiritual conviction that goes far beyond what we can imagine.
5) Because my honor as a Christian is at stake. Where such brazen, violent injustice is occurring, how can I refuse the opportunity to testify against it? Think about it — what does it mean to the reputation of the Church (not to mention her sense of moral priority) if children are brutally murdered in our neighborhoods without us even raising our voices in principled protest? How much is our evangelism and discipleship tarnished and weakened if we do not take seriously such charges as Jeremiah 22:3 and Isaiah 1:16-17: “Thus says the LORD, ‘Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place.’” And “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean. Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Reprove the ruthless. Defend the orphan. Plead for the widow.”
Fewer and fewer American Christians bother nowadays to go in front of abortion mills to pray and give pro-life witness. That is an ominous warning of how far we have been cowed by the world around us. We have become indifferent, callous, distracted, and wimpy. Nevertheless, the grace of God remains available to us all — grace that forgives and cleanses, grace that yields wisdom and strength, grace that yet can bring personal and cultural revolution.
Our marching orders are quite clear. We read them in the Scriptures already listed. And we read them in many others, like Psalm 82:3,4: “Vindicate the weak and fatherless. Do justice to the afflicted and destitute. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.” And Proverbs 24: 11,12: “Deliver those who are being taken away to death, and those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back.” And James 1:27: “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
Giving public witness to the sanctity of life in this darkened and depraved culture is certainly not an easy thing. But it remains extremely high in the values expressed by our Lord. And that’s why we do it…and why, by the grace of God, we will continue to do it.
Wanna’ come along and join us?