A few years ago, there is no way I would have done this.
Protest at Planned Parenthood, that is.
You see, while I was against abortion in theory, I gave into the typical American thought that abortion clinic protesters are mean, angry and graceless. I felt that protesting at a clinic wouldn't change people's minds and would just harden people against Christianity.
What changed?
A number of things have changed in the past few years that would bring me to the point of wanting to protest at an abortuary, but probably the biggest motivating factor is how God has increased my compassion for the weak and helpless, and shown me through His word how big of a priority it is to him. One example (of many) is Deuteronomy 27:18-20. If you look at the larger context of these verses, God lays out curses for disobedience and blessings for obedience. Of the 12 specific curses listed, three of them have to do with preying on the weak and innocent. The number of curses in this category is only surpassed by curses for sexual perversion.
When it comes to defending the helpless and the weak in our day and age, few others in the world are more helpless and weak than an unborn baby.
It helps me to think of it this way. If there were concentration camps in our country, and it was legal to protest outside of them, would you do it? There are places as bad as concentration camps in our country. I stood outside of one today, and at least 10 lives were taken in there this morning. I cannot keep silent.
But even though I knew it was right to go, I was still a little nervous going for the first time. What would I do? What should I say to the people? Would they get angry or violent?
My heart raced as the first car pulled into the parking lot. It was a college-aged white girl and her mother. Before I could say anything one of the other women said "You are a mother to this baby already! Please, don't do this! Don't kill your baby!". And I lost it. That college girl is a mother. Its easy to just think of her as a young girl with an inconvenient pregnancy. But no, she is a mother, like I am a mother, and at that moment she is going to end her baby's life. I was crying and praying for her, praying that God would change her heart, and help her to repent of this sin, and turn to Him and raise her baby to know Him.
After the first car it was a lot easier. Or did my heart just get a little more hard about the reality of what was happening? I didn't cry any more, but I did do a lot of praying. I prayed for the clinic, and for each woman who went inside and each man who sometimes accompanied her. I prayed for them to repent of their sin and turn to God. I thought about how each of them will have to stand before God one day and answer to him for this sin. And I hope that Jesus' blood will cover each and every one of them for what they have done to their children. I hope that they will all see their children in heaven one day.
One thing that really saddened me this morning was the racial make-up of the women going for abortions. Alex and I have remarked a number of times since we moved here on the severe lack of black people we have seen around town. But today, about half of the women were black.
But why should I be surprised? The founder of Planned Parenthood was a supporter of eugenics. She once said, "Colored people are like human weeds and are to be exterminated". And she would be happy to hear that her vision is still being carried out today: blacks make up 12% of the US population, but account for 35% of all abortions. At this rate, the black vote in America will be insignificant by 2038. Some people call it black genocide.
At one point a delivery truck pulled into the parking lot and the driver went in to drop something off. As she got into her truck to leave, I wondered, "What does she think of us? Is she cheering us on or mad that we are trying to restrict 'women's rights'"? As she pulled by me, I was surprised to see her smile and wave. She called out the window to me (as I was the only person there with a baby in arms) "That's better than any sign you can carry!" It was a refreshing encouragement. Maybe I didn't have all of the right words to convince people to turn around, but even just standing there, loving on a baby was an active protest.
No, don't listen to the Planned Parenthood workers. Its not just tissue. Its a baby.
Last week I made the phone call to DCS to get us started with getting re-certified for foster parenting. And there is always a little trepidation in my heart with this step. Will I have the time/energy/ability to love on another little life? Don't we already have enough on our plate as it is? But today was a helpful reminder of what is most important in the world. Defending the weak and needy is important. We want to actively participate in loving and defending those children, whether they are in or out of the womb.
