How we play the game matters.

We are all in this fight for the same reason - at least, I  would hope so. I would hope our only desire is to advance the cause, and not ourselves. Sadly, the deeper I become involved in the pro-life community, the more evident it is that isn’t always the case. We fight amongst one another, making personal attacks and picking one another to shreds. We limit our compassion to those we deem worthy of it. We allow our narrow-mindedness to reign when we throw our support behind political leaders and cry “fake news” whenever something doesn’t fit our narrative, all because they tell us they are pro-life. We don’t dare to listen to a point of view that challenges us to think outside of our deeply engrained systems , spouting off our perspective in comment sections for days, denouncing the valuable work of hardworking pro-life activists just because you disagree.

We limit our compassion to those we deem worthy of it.

Those outside of the arena; those in the nosebleed section ; those who are loyal season ticket holders - they see this. The people outside the arena watch it unfold on their social media screens and those in the nosebleed section have binoculars, intently watching the game. While - it’s true - some in that section only come to troll your work and the comment section of pro-life posts, there are others who are on the brink of an honest heart & mind change. There are abortion-minded and post-abortive women who are a hair’s breadth away from coming into the arena and asking for assistance, but have been quietly watching how we treat people like them to see if what abortion advocates have been telling them about our community is true. Are we coming across as approachable ?

Whether or not people move from outside of the stadium, to the nosebleed section, to being season ticket holders ,  to eventually playing the game,  depends on how the players and coaches behave.Who wants to accept help from or be further involved in a cause where you can cut the tension with a knife. Those in the nosebleed section are a bloody nose away from leaving the arena , and who are the first people they are going to talk to ? - those outside the stadium.

It’s heartbreaking to even consider how many people we have soured from the pro-life community by our actions towards them and amongst one another.  How much talent of season ticket holders prepared to defend life that we’ve squandered by putting a “VIP only” sign at the entry door to the field and having a bouncer with a list of people allowed in? ; How many dedicated game players have left the field due to activist burnout?; How many of those on the field wield their popularity as a weapon of dominance, ready and willing to destroy anyone both personally and professionally if they get too close for comfort? ; How many “leaders” do we give free passes when they hurt others because of their social standing ?

Those who are well-known in the pro-life community, stay humble and treat the season ticket holders as your equals.  You may stand before Congress and speak in various venues across the world and have your testimonies lauded on various blogs/news stations, but what these ticket holders do in defence of life matters just as much as what you do. Yes, you may be in the public eye,  but it’s not some popularity game. The example you are setting, matters.

We can’t keep attacking one another while ignoring the stench of death and shrieking  begs for help from the depths of hurting spirits all around us. Our community needs to refocus ; our effectiveness depends on it.