Take my hand, not my life.
We are Voices for Life
Life.. A Beautiful Choice
.. and others, but those are the ones I remember right now.
When our children were school age, we used to participate as a family every year. But I haven't participated for several years. I decided to follow my heart and attend this year.
Sadly, I think I was the only participant from my church of probably 350 people. Maybe no one else knew about it. But, the truth is, even when it's been advertised in the bulletin, very few actually show up. Disappointing. It isn't something that people jump to do. I understand that. Even some Christians feel it does no good and causes divisions. I think if it's peaceful, positive, and prayerful, it's a good thing. It keeps the issue alive and forces people to think about it, even for 30 seconds, as they drive by. Maybe it starts a conversation that wouldn't have happened otherwise. We ARE talking about life and death of an unborn child and a violent solution to a hurting woman's crisis. There HAS to be a better way for a civilized society to help women and children, doesn't there?
I hate confrontation and I don't go out of my way to make a scene. This was definitely NOT in my comfort zone. And I'm not alone in that sentiment. But I'm glad I went anyway.
I had a great conversation with the guy standing beside me. He wasn't exactly excited about standing on the sidewalk holding up a poster, either, but said he felt it was the least he could do, and compared to what happens to other Jesus followers around the world who stand up for what they believe, this is not too 'risky'. And we both agreed we were glad we did decide to come. There is something about standing unified with other people from various churches (He is Catholic, I am Protestant). How often do we actually do that... join together as Christians.. across denominations?
Apparently last year there were a few angry hecklers who confronted several participants. But, thankfully, this year was a peaceful hour, with lots of positive thumbs ups and honks from drivers passing by. Maybe one or two who showed their disagreement by yelling or flipping the bird. But that was minor.
I do believe there is value in this 'demonstration' but it definitely shouldn't and doesn't stop there. Thankfully, I have met many people who give of their time and money towards helping women in distress, and providing comfort and practical solutions. That is what we are called to do.
The Life Chain was a good choice for me this year.
