It’s Saturday morning and we are stepping out the door of our little house. I’ve locked the doors and yet, I’m going down the checklist in my mind; doors locked, lights off, windows shut and locked. Everything is checked and we are getting into the car for our 30-minute drive. We've been blessed with our 19-year-old daughter who does most of the driving for us, and my teenage daughter who sits upfront with her. Mom and dad (dad being me) get to enjoy the ride in the backseat.
Our destination is First Church of Nazarene in Pomona, California. Our drive is uneventful and we've reached our destination as others are starting to pull up and park their cars. Many people are getting out of their cars and nearly all are wearing teal-colored shirts. Oddly the church doors are open but the over 100 people attending are not entering the building.
Everyone is gathering on the west side of the church property. Some tables are set up with teal and gray-colored shirts on display, bracelets, welcome cards, registration forms, water, and snacks. Speakers are set up with a microphone, I see a guitar, music sheets, and a music stand but not much more. Everyone's gathering around waiting to hear from the host.
The guitarist comes forward and opens the event with songs and worship. After singing for about 15 minutes with the attendees, the host comes forward and introduces himself and opens in prayer. He calls a few pastors as they one by one speak and share a few verses in the bible; all about life.
We are all here to attend the Love Life Prayer Walk.
The attendees are young and old alike. I see mothers pushing strollers, I see the elderly being helped as they prepare for the walk. I see a man on a motorized wheelchair, as well as a blind lady with her walking stick in one hand and embracing an older man. I see youth, couples, and toddlers clasping hands with adults.
Another person comes to the mic and explains what we will be doing as we walk to a blue building, about a 5-minute walk. Another speaker reads the Love Life code of conduct which we are all instructed to raise our right hands in agreement. There is a sense of excitement as we are preparing for the walk, and yet we have been told that we are going to the battlefield and this should not be taken lightly.
Our escorts in yellow reflective vests will lead us across streets watching for our safety. As we begin our walk we begin praying, some with raised hands, some quietly, and others in silence. This site is touching, to see people of different ages, ethnicities, and most of all people with disabilities for the cause of defending the voiceless.
We’ve reached our destination, Planned Parenthood. The large group of people continues praying. Some place their hands on the walls of the building, others clasp their hands in prayer, and some raise their hands in worship. The portable microphone, stand, and speakers are quickly set up as the guitarist begins playing songs of worship. There is no yelling or screaming and there is no destruction of property. The attendees have orderly congregated along the sidewalk, facing the blue building.
What is noticeable is the traffic noise from the cars driving by on the street we are gathered on, the freeway is adjacent to the building and this creates even more noise. We hear cars honking as they drive by, not sure if they are for or against what they are witnessing. But it seems none of this phases the attendees.
Abortion and Planned Parenthood
There are more than 600 Planned Parenthoods affiliates in America and over 160 just in California. According to the host speaker at this prayer walk, California performs over 300 abortions a day, and over 2300 in the nation. We know that over 63 million abortions have been performed since Roe v Wade dating back to 1973.
I would expect the number of Planned Parenthood facilities in California to increase if Row v Wade is overturned. The State of California will most likely, if not already, be a safe haven for abortion.
It seems our nation is struggling in defining life or it refuses to accept the meaning of life, and specifically human life. A common person like you and I can find the definitions of life and abortion with a few clicks on our keyboard. Seriously, we don’t need a master’s or a doctorate to know these definitions and the true meaning of life.
Life:
Merriam Dictionary: 1. A: The quality that distinguishes a vital and functional being from a dead body.
Biology Online: Life is a characteristic of a living organism that distinguishes the latter from a dead organism or a non-living thing; as specifically distinguished by the capacity to grow, metabolize, respond to stimuli, adapt, and reproduce.
Abortion: A deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, accompanied by, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus.
It is clear abortion is the termination of human life. I would expect everyone to come to this conclusion?
But it seems, we quickly turn away from terminating life to; it’s a woman's choice, it’s a woman's body, we have too many orphans already, it’s not good for the environment, if we care about kids there are so many other ways of helping them. The list goes on and on.
It is undeniable, that abortion is the killing of life.
Abortion has certainly been one of the causes of our country's division, and sadly it has created a gaping hole in the church or among Christians. The Christian possesses the truth, that is the Word of God. There are so many verses that speak of the sanctity of life, and how God knew us before we were in the womb. Way back when I was in High School, biology class taught me that life begins at conception.
So how does the Christian conclude that abortion is okay?
Regardless of how lacking Christians are in providing care for the orphans, child trafficking, homelessness, broken homes, or whatever the case. There is nothing to justify the killing of an unborn baby.
This prayer walk is not about condemning those women that will have an abortion, it’s not about stopping or even ending abortion, though, it is what we hope and pray for. The prayer walk intends to bring hope to these women and that life matters to God.
After spending some time on the west side of Planned Parenthood, we all took a short walk toward the east side of the building. An alleyway brings us to the main entrance of the building. Here we continue to pray, specifically for the women coming in and going out of the building, for the doctors and staff, and even for the parking security that is present keeping a watch over us.
After we close in prayer we continue our short walk back to the church where we started. We close the prayer walk with a short message and prayer. The whole event lasted around one hour and forty-five minutes.
Attending these prayer walks reminds me of an event that took place in the bible. In the book of Joshua chapter 6, God instructed Joshua to march around Jericho with his army for seven days. Not a bow, sword, chisel, or hammer was used to take down the wall. They were instructed by God to blow their trumpets and shout at the walls and the result was a pile of rubble. 2 Cor 10:3-5I
It humbles me to know that God is at work at these prayer walks. We only show up, pray and worship and God does the rest. God loves life He gave His life that we would have life. Jn. 3:16.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I
appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Jeremiah 1:5
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!
Psalm 139 13-17
From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
Psalms 22:10
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