My cousin was in the Army in the mid-80’s. For about eight months, his unit was stationed on the inner-German border – the border between West Germany and communist East Germany. He was close enough that he could, at times, see Russian and East German soldiers on the other side of the line. They were so close to the enemy that he described his unit as “the point of the spear”.
The Culture War is fought in a lot of different ways by a wide variety of people. Some feel that it’s enough to vote pro-life. Some people write and argue in favor of pro-life causes. But on Saturday morning, my two oldest daughters and I stood outside an abortion clinic and prayed the rosary with about 375 other people.
On that day we were the point of the spear.
Stalin once said, “One death is a tragedy, 20 million is a statistic”. Most of the time we see the culture wars from Stalin’s perspective. 50 million is a big number. 50 million is so big that it’s easy to let it slip into the abstract. The abstraction is a defense mechanism – it helps us deal with a number so large that we can’t truly wrap our heads around it. 50 million abortions is a statistic that we know intellectually to be a tragedy, but emotion is kept at a happy distance.
When you stand in front of an abortion mill, you see the culture wars from a different perspective. Two women walked in while we were there. Two. Suddenly, abortion is more tangible. The statistic evaporates, and you’re left with nothing but tragedy. You see the Sidewalk counselors approach someone that doesn’t want to listen, and it’s no longer a story on the news or something we talk about on the internet. Your heart pulls harder. From your lips comes, “…pray for us now and at the hour of our death,” while your head is saying in the background, “Please, oh please, Lord, let them hear.” But they walk on.
Sure, we have to fight the culture wars in the courts and legislatures. Both are vital to eventual success. But the point of the spear is just as important. We will not win the hearts and minds of our opponents in the courts or legislatures. We will win them on our knees in front of places like the Fairmont Women’s Clinic, begging God to let them hear.
Mark, thank you for this powerful reflection. You've put into words what I couldn't.
God be with you,
Heather
Yes, Mark, that was a beautiful and powerful reflection. It reads like words out of my own head -- far more eloquent of course but you know what I mean.
I'll be linking back. :) It was nice to meet you.