Voluntary persecution. Doesn’t that sound crazy – volunteering to be persecuted for what you believe? That thought made me ask myself what I personally believe in so strongly that I would step out in faith and action knowing that something negative might occur. Not absolutely knowing, but the likelihood was in the realm of possibilities. I admit I probably would avoid the potential of pain if I have time to think it through.
One day I was driving home from work for lunch, and as I turned a corner I came upon an incident where a man was attacking a car that was caught in traffic. He appeared to be furious with the driver and had something in his hand he was using as a weapon to beat on the car.
Without thinking I pulled face in to where he was standing at the side of the car and blasted my horn to draw his attention away from the victim and to hopefully also draw the attention of anyone who would help. It never crossed my mind he might then turn on me; all I wanted was that the women in the other car would be safe.
Thankfully the police responded quickly, and I backed off unharmed and went home quite shaken but thankful that I had intervened. Apparently I am a bit braver when I don’t have time to consider the possibilities.
I seek to follow God’s Ten Commandments, including His command not to kill, which I believe includes the unborn. I am not one to stand at the side of the road and hold a sign or even to attend marches. They both draw attention to the issue, but neither appeals me.
I pray about these matters and seek God’s will for my action, and so far He has not directed me to any of this work. That does not mean it isn’t important and needed work, but that He has directed it to others. My job obviously lies elsewhere.
As I read the news on CBN recently I was enamored by the stories of those Right to Life workers who were recently pardoned by President Trump. What an amazing group of diverse people, full of faith, and all willing to put their lives literally on the line. Every story I read was unique, from older women to middle-aged men who had been sent to prison. Some people were sentenced to serve longer terms than if they had actually killed a human. How sadly ironic when you consider they were working in unity to save lives.
I won’t go into the means used and the sentences handed down except to say that I feel this was a travesty of and an embarrassment to our nation and legal system, and I am in full agreement with the pardon of these people.
In the event you haven’t been introduced to some of those who have stood in the gap I will share one story. An older woman, Eva Edl, 89, told about being raised in Yugoslavia. The Russians came in and ordered Eva and her mother to be taken to a concentration camp. While there her mother was able to bribe a guard to let Eva escape. Eventually she made her way to the United States.
When she arrived in the States she was horrified as she realized that abortion was legal here, and she was determined to fight against it. She related that she likens abortion to her being abducted by the Russians. She believes that if just one Christian had stood up for her family then she might never have had her life upended and been confined to a concentration camp. She has taken her stand because she was eventually freed and sees this as God’s direction for her life.
Each of these stories are chock-full of hearts that believe with their entire souls that God has placed them here at this time for this very purpose – to speak and act against the very common practice of abortion in the United States. Each person has said they knew they might be arrested but never expected to be found guilty under the FACE Act and to receive such harsh sentences.
Even so, they agree that although they would not have volunteered to go to prison, they experienced amazing growth in their faith while there, and some even started prayer groups among their fellow inmates. All were thankful to be pardoned. Those who were in the middle of their work lives would have had a criminal conviction on their record if they had not been pardoned.
Will I dare to follow God’s direction if He tells me to do something similar? Only He knows for sure, but I pray the answer is that I will.
