On March 25, I attended the Illinois March for Life with 19 students from Lutheran High School. The day began with Matins at Trinity Lutheran Church, continued with lunch for nearly 200 people at the State House Inn, and culminated with a rally and march outside the state capitol. Thousands of people, mostly Christians of various denominations, showed up to defend the right of the unborn to live.
There were, however, some counter protesters. A dozen or so people, mostly young men, armed with obscene signs and megaphones attempted to shout down the speakers at the rally and assert a woman’s “right” to kill her own child.
Two things stood out about this group.
- As mentioned, they were mostly young men. I would say 10 men and two women. The people participating in the March for Life were predominantly women, although a good number of men were there as well. There is something wrong when men are arguing for the “necessity” of ending pregnancy. God gave men strength that they would defend life, not exterminate it. I encourage all the men in our congregation to stand up for the unborn and for their mothers, protecting them from these awful decisions.
- The protestors left some graffiti. Scrawled on the sidewalk in blue chalk are the words “NO GODS NO MASTERS”. This is what the fight is really about. Killing a baby is just a side effect, a horrifying side effect, of the desire to have no God and no master. If there is no God, if I truly have no master, then I can do whatever I please.
And this is a temptation for each and every one of us, to want to be our own God. Our sinful flesh desires no master but the self. Let us flee this temptation and turn to our Lord Jesus Christ for refuge and forgiveness.
Rev. Michael Mohr, President of the Central Illinois District of the LCMS took a picture of these words (NO GODS NO MASTERS) to remind all of us that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)
Abortion is a spiritual war, not merely a political one. It is the same of all sin. And our Lord Jesus alone gives us the victory. His blood cleanses us from sin and gives us the hope of new life in Him. He gives us the courage to confront the endorsement of sin by our government and to try and rescue others from those sins too.
Let us work and pray for a day when abortion will be unthinkable, a day when all men labor in defense of life, when all women and men value the children they have been blessed with.
It was evident on Tuesday which of the two groups was filled with love for others which was filled with hate. It is not possible to argue for the death of the innocent and come across as loving and compassionate. Those participating in the March for Life were filled with hope and joy, and it came across in everything they said and did.
Let us shine forth the blessings and hope of the Gospel. Our Savior has freed us from sin and death, so we have every reason to be joyful, every reason to hope. Let’s give this hope and blessing to the world around us.
In Christ,
Joshua Theilen
Assistant Pastor