This May, thousands of Canadians will attend the annual National March for Life and numerous provincial marches for life. They will come from every part of the country and they will be members of every race and religion. They will come, rain or shine, to our federal and provincial capitals and will witness to the sanctity of all human life. But what good is such a witness? Why, for a 13th consecutive year, will so many conscientious Canadians make this march, this pilgrimage? Why do we walk at all?
First, we walk for unborn children who cannot raise their voices in alarm at the danger to themselves or their developing hands in defence against the abortionist’s suction tube. We also walk for the elderly and infirm who can walk no longer and who are, thus, imperiled by a depraved society that preys on the weak in the name of “dignity.” We walk, too, for the disabled and the handicapped who are no less precious because of their condition. We walk, then, to shine a protecting light on those in the darkness of the womb and at the margins of the world. We walk for these, our brothers and sisters; we walk, therefore, for ourselves.
We also walk for encouragement. The pro-life community in Canada is a loving family, whereas the picket line is a lonely place. In Ottawa, then, we are reminded of the breadth of our movement; we are reminded that, when we march for life, we do not march alone.
But we also walk – nay, march – for history, so that later generations of Canadians can look back with pride at the small contingent of their countrymen who were willing to witness to the truth in an intolerant age. In Ottawa, then, we entrust the legacy of our just witnessing to a generation yet unborn. The National March for Life represents the beginning of a new, civilized chapter in Canadian history and the end of a dark age of barbarism.
That this coming community is imperiled before its birth is not surprising; but, unlike so many innocent unborn infants, the birth of this new community is assured. Thus, in May, we will march in our capital cities and we will march for a future we long to see. Marching for life reminds us that, on this journey, we do not walk alone or in vain. With our pro-life family, we walk and work for a brighter future in which the sanctity of all life is defended and affirmed.
