Life is different since the pandemic and riots sparked by the unjustified killing of George Floyd. In some ways, it seems during the last months we have been teetering on the edge of the Twilight Zone. This classic TV series took viewers into a different reality. The program was described as a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It was considered a dimension of imagination.
It certainly seemed like a different reality when our governor declared that abortions are considered “essential.” Only in a dimension of imagination can you justify taking the lives of innocent humans.
During the shelter at home order, I knew that this could not prevent me from exercising my constitutional rights to pray and protest at an abortion facility.
Occasionally, a passerby would yell out some type of insult. The few times this happened the sidewalk counselor near me would say: “Thank You!” When I questioned why he would thank someone who is insulting him, he responded: “They are helping us by persecuting us.” The final Beatitude affirms the blessing we received: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Mt. 5:10)
Not long after the insult, a black man came to deliver food at Planned Parenthood. Another sidewalk counselor raised his voice and said: “Black Lives Don’t Matter Here!” My thought was this comment was probably useless since the young man was just doing his job. After the comment, however, I noticed the young man was taken aback by the statement. After leaving the building, he spoke with the sidewalk counselor and said that he would never return to Planned Parenthood. It was an unexpected blessing!
I am quite sure that inside the abortion facility staff were wearing masks and taking precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. What is ironic—and even borders on the edge of the Twilight Zone—is that Planned Parenthood employees recognize the potency of a virus that is many times smaller than young human beings. It takes an imagination beyond understanding to visualize how one can recognize a virus while ignoring the humanity of a fetus. The virus requires an electron microscope to be seen. By contrast, a baby in the womb can easily be seen after delivery or an abortion.
Around noon a car approached the Planned Parenthood driveway. The man and woman in the care briefly stopped to listen to the sidewalk counselor. They didn’t take any literature offered, and then slowly drove to the parking lot. I decided to wave my arm to signal the driver to back up. Surprisingly, he stopped and briefly backed up, but then went forward and parked. Having never before witnessed a car back up at Planned Parenthood, it gave me a feeling that the couple would not have an abortion.
After several minutes I was able to walk over to the car via an adjacent property and tried to initiate a conversation. There was no response to my attempt to communicate, but at least I made an effort to reach out to them.
The couple remained in their car for about a half-hour before deciding to leave. It was on their way out that I noticed the woman had a noticeable “baby bump.” Before leaving, she took the pro-life literature offered by the sidewalk counselor and did not go in for an abortion. I am quite certain it was not my imagination when I noticed that she appeared significantly more calm and relaxed.
When a woman has a “baby bump,” we know it is baby. A baby is a human form within a woman’s womb. Every newly formed human is closer to the mother than any other human person in the world. Sometimes we just need to be standing and praying to help a woman know that she is carrying a baby. Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, “God wanders among us in human form speaking to us in those who cross our paths, be they stranger, beggar, sick, or even in those nearest to us in everyday life, becoming Christ’s demand on our faith in Him.” (A Testament to Freedom: The Essential Writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, p. 8)
Having a strong love for God will allow us to stay calm no matter how close we get to the edge of the Twilight Zone. When we move beyond our earthly life into eternal life (the next dimension), having a strong faith in God will result in an ineffable love and joy beyond imagining.
Russ Rooney
Life Legal Minnesota