by Jessica Kessler
San Francisco, CA — Last weekend we walked for life in San Francisco, and I was tasked by the Bishop to report on our adventure. The group and trip exceeded my expectation. I suppose I should write about the amazing testimonies or the vast numbers; maybe I should write about how strong the Holy Spirit felt or how heavy the dark forces felt. As interesting as all those may sound, I am just going to write something I know: God is on the move, and it is happening so fast that I have difficulty putting to words the events or significance of these moments.
On Friday, our pro-life brothers and sisters on the other side of the country walked with over 600,000 people in D.C., and the very next day we stood on the West Coast with 60,000-70,000 in one of the most liberal capitals of the country, San Francisco. This country has a pro-life voice, and we will be heard with or without the media. Even if we are heard from a window, on the sidewalk at a clinic, cheering at a rally, or by someone reading a shirt — the truth can only be hidden for so long.
This year in San Francisco, CEC For Life added an organized rally to our West Coast events; we worked with other local groups, including our friends at Survivors, and intervened in spirit through the Liturgy for the Preborn on the steps of San Francisco City Hall. We took shirts in all different colors and bright signs sharing the message that “ALL Life Is Sacred.” The color and energy set the CEC apart in a sense of bringing life into the movement. We mourn for the lost and pray for the broken mothers, but we also love life, stress life and want to share it abundantly.
This is not something only occurring on the West Coast. CEC members all over the world, particularly youth, have been stepping up for the sacred and special gift of Life, voicing the injustice of abortion, and creating a future for the pro-life ministry in this denomination. This past year, alone, we saw a 24-hour prayer chain develop, had a huge outreach in Madrid, saw new videos being created, and many ideas in art, music, photography, and writing emerge. An awakening has occurred that fully acknowledges one-third of our generation is missing — killed by abortion. We are brokenhearted and enraged to see so many lost, grateful to be alive, sad for those who believe the lie, and empowered to speak against the enemy.
We desire life, not just for ourselves but for life itself. You know, it was supposed to rain everyday we were in San Francisco but I, and many others, prayed fervently against it. Well, it never rained. God answered our prayer. And He will hear our cry if we stand as a prophetic witness, offering His love to a lost and dying generation. We are a pro-life generation, and we are coming into our own. Every person who went on the trip (mostly young people) is now far more committed to the pro-life cause, and we have big plans, gaining momentum by the moment. And, while I am incredibly energized by this past weekend, I know God is also speaking just as powerfully to young people around the world in the whole CEC. If we can work together through this, and if God continues to move at this pace, then the abortion industry better watch out. A message of love will always overcome.