Helping us to see…
Yesterday I was discussing with a fellow sidewalk volunteer how difficult it is to convince people to participate in prayer and witness at Planned Parenthood. I mentioned, hopefully, that a couple of new volunteers had recently joined our group and have shown real commitment to the cause, a development that is all too rare. My friend responded, “Yes, they see what’s going on.” Below is an analogy that may help those who do not see.
Imagine seeing an Aztec human sacrifice pyramid peeking out of the Pittsburgh skyline from Market Square or Point State Park. Now imagine that such a horrific structure was in active use. Would not such a reality define the city of Pittsburgh in our minds? Would not such open destruction of human life spur Christians into mass action? Sadly, with the existence of Pittsburgh’s Planned Parenthood, this is already our reality with only one caveat: instead of killing visible human beings in a public place, PP kills hidden human beings in a concealed place. And yet, although rampant killing exists in our city, it is hard to inspire Christians to action! Abortion supporters think killing is okay if the victim is concealed within the womb. Do we Christians think that murder deserves less opposition if it is concealed within the brick façade of 933 Liberty Ave?
In a nutshell, the ability to “see what’s going on” is why people decide to come to Liberty Ave for prayer and witness. Those who have taken the uncomfortable but necessary step of recognizing the prominent place abortion holds in our city and society are those who have taken action.
Some may fear that taking action would lead to a personal loss of peace. After all, having abortion on the mind does seem fairly dark. But Christian peace doesn’t equate to being passive in the face of evil or avoiding darkness. Rather, the Peace of Christ is found in resisting evil and bringing light to a darkened world. The Apostles did not live what modern men would consider “peaceful” lives. But it was to them that Christ spoke: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Jn 14:27
If abortion troubles your heart, do not be afraid! Come join us in bringing light to one of the darkest places in Pittsburgh. God will reward you with peace!
Andrew
Here are the stories from those who helped Pittsburgh to “SEE” today:
Bill & Tracy
(From Tracy) – Our 7:30-9:00AM was different this morning. It became much more lively with the arrival of a family from St. Peter’s in Steubenville. Laura handed out flowers to passersby. What a lovely gesture at the beginning of the day! Traffic into PP was steady. Thankfully, a few going in took info. The only loud negative response to our presence was from a young lady in a car at the signal. Thank God for the usual city hubbub! It was easy to casually turn our backs to her and act like we never even heard her, lol! Prayers, please, for the soul of Rita, one of our street people? We were told by the local Pittsburgh street ambassador that she had a fall over the weekend, hitting her head. She passed away having suffered a brain hemorrhage.
Beth & Linda
(From Beth) Happy birthday, Charlie Kirk. It’s a sad October 14 without you. You said that abortion is wrong because it kills an innocent human being. Unfortunately, today people entered PP today, ignoring the common sense you offered. Quiet until 10:30 and then clients came quickly. Rest in peace, Charlie. We’ll keep going and this 40 days is dedicated to you.
Sheila & Rose
(From Sheila) – The clinic was busy, and few clients would engage with us. Rose and I were blessed to have a wonderful group of prayer warriors with us, including Fr. Dan. One passerby felt that abortion might be acceptable in certain situations. He agreed to look at some of my pictures of aborted fetuses. Afterward, I asked if what he saw should ever be acceptable; he acknowledged that it “just wasn’t right.”
Sandy, Kim & Mike
God blessed us today with a surprise prayer warrior, Bruce. This is his second time praying with 40 Days for Life. He stood with a sign and prayed the rosary during our 1-3 shift. Afterwards, Sandy, our sidewalk advocate, shared that today was unusual because more people were open to having a conversation with her! She attributed that to God answering our many prayers. Sandy had a discussion with a woman that was forced to have an abortion 25 years ago. She offer her post abortion healing information. The woman was unaware that post abortion healing was available and was really grateful. Another woman Sandy got to speak with had lost her insurance and needed feminine healthcare but didn’t want to use PP- Sandy was able to give her alternative locations for free help! She was very thankful for the information. Praise God for answered prayers and many blessings on the sidewalk today!
Bill, Virginia & John
A couple of people coming out with brown bags. Pretty quiet, which is good. We prayed together. It was nice to see Virginia and Bill again. My spiritual sister and brother. May God bless you all who come down to Planned Parenthood to stand up life.