Yesterday was the 43rd annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. Opponents of abortion have supported this peaceful demonstration every year around the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade. This year’s march was a little different. It comes one week after a world-wide women’s march and one week after Pres. Trump’s inauguration. As such, it received more attention than usual from the press. Also, for the first time ever, a sitting Vice-President addressed the crowd. I had friends at this march. I also had friends at the women’s march last week. I am also thrilled that abortions are at their lowest number since before the Roe v. Wade decision in the 1970s. That should be good news to all those who were demonstrating yesterday.
You see, I am staunchly pro-life. I believe abortion is the taking of an innocent life. But I also believe pro-life should extend far beyond just being anti-abortion. For me, being pro-life means that I am…
- Anti-abortion.
- Anti-death penalty.
- Pro-refugee.
- Anti-Euthanasia.
- Pro-environment.
- Anti-torture (a.k.a. “enhanced interrogation techniques”).
- Pro-Universal Health Care.
- Anti-racism.
- Pro-ethnic diversity.
- A struggling, want to be, pacifist.
- Anti-wars over economic and political agendas. (I my opinion, every war the U.S. has been in in my lifetime has been an unjust war. Please do not read into that statement that I am against our military. I am not! Our military is made up of honorable men and women who are courageous and simply doing their duty. They are not the ones who make the decision to go to war.)
- Anti-mass incarceration.
- Anti-human sex trafficking.
- Anti-human labor trafficking.
- Pro-criminal justice and sentencing reform.
- Pro-minimum wage increase.
- Anti-violence.
- Pro-Micah 6:8 – “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
In addition, I think we need to do a better job with mental illness in our country. We need to do better when it comes to fighting poverty and combating addictions and curbing our love affair with guns, etc…etc…etc…
I also believe the primary responsibility to stand up for these things, and to speak out against these injustices, lies at the feet of the Church, not the government. But in recent days, the Church (especially my tribe, the evangelical church) has lost is moral authority to speak out on key issues. We need revival in our churches, but first we need a long period of biblical lament.
In summary, we, the Body of Christ, need to live out the Beatitudes of Jesus. He said:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:3-12)
You don’t have to agree with every single one of my bullet points. I recognize there can be honest disagreements, even among followers of Jesus. However, if you are only “anti-abortion,” can you really say you are “pro-life?”
Floods of Justice 
THis is beautfully said.