The March for Life and a Call To Speak the Truth in Love

I’ve shared before that my mother is one of the founders of the March for Life.

She was a “stay-at-home” mom, pregnant with her 4th child (me), when she traveled to DC to meet with 6 people to decide what to do about the one year anniversary of Roe V. Wade.

Little did she, or anybody at that meeting, know that they would become the founding members of the largest human rights march in the history of the world.

Let it be known, this March was founded on Love — love for all people of every race, creed and ability — and that Love is what makes it different from other movements.

Unlike other movements, we don’t think that the way to progress is by stepping on the weak and vulnerable to get what you want.

Unlike other movements, we don’t believe violence or vitriol or canceling people is an effective way to get what you want, either.

Unlike other movements, we believe you can love both mother and father and baby at the same time — and in fact, we believe that strong families will result in a strong society built on mutual love and respect.

We are a movement that believes in the dignity and infinite worth of every human being — every, single person!

Even if you disagree with us and even if you cancel us — we’re going to keep loving you, because that is who we are!

So don’t let anybody or the media convince you that the pro-life movement only cares about babies! That’s a lie that’s been perpetuated by people who stand to benefit from abortion — and benefit, they do!

Billions of dollars in profits are won for the abortion industry by perpetuating that lie — which is why we need to step away from the newsfeeds and sit before Jesus and let Him inform our thoughts and decisions.

So, let it be known, the March for Life was founded on love, only LOVE!

It was also founded to help women who were being asked to bear the brunt of a hyper-sexualized, objectifying culture — a culture where women are being asked to bear the burden of popping hormone-filled pills and dealing with the trauma of abortion on their own.

WOMEN SUFFER THE MOST IN A PRO-ABORTION PRO-CONTRACEPTION CULTURE. NEVER FORGET THAT!

The March for life was founded on the belief that all women — in and out of the womb — deserved to be acknowledged as unique, irrepeatable, and worthy of life and love and respect.

That was the motivation for that first March and it remains the motivation of those who have marched after them.

My mother likes to point out that those people in attendance at that first planning meeting at Nellie Gray’s house were basically ordinary people.

But the truth be known, they weren’t ordinary at all. They had immense courage!

They believed with every fiber of their being that, even if nobody showed up at that first March — that they they would march, nonetheless — that at least, they could live with the knowledge that they tried to stand up against oppression and injustice.

For my mother, marching against injustice was nothing new.

Years earlier, she marched with Martin Luther King, Jr. in the South.

She saw the very personhood of men, woman and children being questioned because of the color of their skin — and she couldn’t stand by and do nothing.

So she marched in their defense.

When abortion was legalized, she saw it as a similar attack.

Again, she couldn’t just stand by as innocent babies in the womb had their personhood questioned.

Neither could any of the men and women who met on that fateful day in DC at Nellie Gray’s house.

But it was those 7 people who changed the course of history when it came to the founding of the largest human rights march in the world.

Just 7 ordinary people. Let that soak in.

In that one meeting, every major decision for the first March for Life was made.

I emphasize this point because real change in this world often comes down to “ordinary” people who practice extraordinary faith.

No major organizations were willing to stake their reputation on it — so it fell into the hands of every day people like you and me.

It took humble people who were willing to say “To Hell with our reputation.” for that first March to happen.

It took brave people, who were willing to do the right thing, even if that right thing might be a colossal failure.

But that first March wasn’t a colossal failure — not by a long shot.

Millions have continued to show up — in rain and snow and blizzards and biting cold — to stand up for all the mothers and fathers and babies, too.

Not everybody can March in DC, but if you ever can, you should go at least once.

It is a sea of humanity — all colors, creeds and abilities — peacefully marching side by side in power and love.

Nobody is marching to make somebody feel bad about their choices.

We march because we want people to know that there is hope and healing and life after an abortion.

And maybe you know people who have had abortions, and they seem just fine — but I can tell you I have met many a woman who isn’t fine after her abortion.

I have met women who regret their abortion — and in fact, most women who have abortions have felt pressured by the people in their life to make that decision.

It wasn’t actually their choice at all. They thought it was the only way out.

Only it wasn’t a way out, it was a way in — into sadness, depression, despair, addiction, and self-loathing.

We march for those women who have had an abortion, as much as we march for the millions of babies aborted each year — perhaps even more.

In fact, it is because we believe those aborted babies would never want their own mothers or fathers to be brought to despair over their choices that we march.

I don’t want to add more shame to any woman’s decisions — but if you want true healing, you must acknowledge the cause of your pain and suffering — you must acknowledge your choice was the wrong choice.

If you have had an abortion, please know that there is healing for you. There is reconciliation with God and with your sweet little baby.

There is grace and light and beauty waiting for you.

For those of us who were protected from such a choice being forced upon us, let me say we have lots of work to do.

I recently read a statistic, that just in the Catholic Church alone, up to 25% of women sitting in the pew had an abortion at some point in their life.

We need to help those women find healing and hope and even a connection to their child they aborted.

Mothers and Fathers need healing from this “choice” they made so long ago. Forgiveness is the path forward for all of us and for our Church.

That, my friends, is why we March.

We March for Life — everlasting life for you, and for me, for the mothers and fathers who aborted their babies, for the people who performed and assisted in the abortions, and for all those little babies — those warriors of truth.

Wherever you are in the world today, and in whatever way that you can — try to be a witness to the beauty of each unique, unrepeatable, irreplaceable life lovingly created by God.

Your witness matters, more than you could know!