The Spirit of Truth

The world cannot see or know it

I was feeling a little disheartened the other day after doing some spiritual warfare outside our local abortion center. As I do twice a year in March and October, I participate with the 40 Days for Life Prayer Campaign by praying on the sidewalk in front of Planned Parenthood. There I rarely directly meet any of the clients of this foul establishment because they enter the place by car and drive down to the back where the entrance is located. I can mostly see them coming in and going out. The best I can usually do is be seen praying, and hopefully, they might understand that I am praying for them.

The most interaction I have gotten is from passersby in cars. Sometimes it’s positive—a tapping of a horn in support and a wave. But more often its people flying by, giving “the finger.” My standard response it to wave back at them and not return their vitriol. And it normally rolls right off of me emotionally because I am comforted by Christ’s words:

“If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you.” (John 15: 18-19)

Based on these words of Christ, I consider it an honor to take on that hate for the truth. The other day, however, it was particularly bad. Two women came out of the driveway in their car, and I could see them preparing to pass me. As they made their turn onto the road, the one in the passenger side gave me a broadside of double-fisted fingers. I lost count of how many others did the same in that hour.

The time before that I was there with my wife, and a smug college student stopped in the street to tell us to the effect that we could be doing something much better with our time. It didn’t get hostile on either side, but it got loud and animated. We were speaking past one another. We asked him why he thought it was okay to kill babies. He said that he could use his intelligence, to which my wife shot back, “So, it’s intelligent to kill babies?”

This exchange was epitomized by a written exchange on the metal fencing in front of the Planned Parenthood building. The original writer scrawled, “Being Pro-Life is a sign of unintelligence. I support Planned Parenthood.” Someone with a wit, made the following edits: “Being Pro-Life is a sign of unintelligence. I support Planned Parenthood.”

What struck me about these clashes was these people, who I am certain are otherwise good people, cannot see the truth to what abortion really is. They simply cannot see what I see. I see the irrefutable truth as outlined in this syllogism:

• It is always and everywhere evil to kill innocent human life.

• Abortion kills an innocent human life.

• Therefore, abortion is evil.

No good person could disagree with the first premise. Some might try to attack the argument’s second premise by denying the humanity of an unborn baby, but science and love are against them. Some will agree with the conclusion, but still hold that abortion is a necessary evil, as if evil can ever be justified. But regardless, many people, even up to half the population, cannot or will not see this. They are blind to this truth that is so very clear to me. Why is this so? I wondered, again, feeling disheartened after having received so much hate for standing up for the truth.

I believe in answer to my prayerful question, I received the following words of Christ, which were sent to me in a completely different context:

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you." (John 14:16-17)

So I see that by following Christ and not belonging to the world, I have the Spirit of truth with me. I am not blind to the evil. Those who accept the world as their guide are blinded to the truth. I pray that those blinded by worldly ways will repent and accept the Spirt of truth, sent from God the Father through his Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

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