By Donny Robbins, volunteer Sidewalk Advocate
On August 15, a group of Voices For Life volunteers crossed state lines to do sidewalk counseling at a couple of abortion clinics in Champaign, Illinois. Our primary goal was to help the people going into the clinics through alternative resources and prayer in hopes of preventing abortions.
Along with trying to prevent abortions, it was also an opportunity for people new to pro-life ministry to get experience, like myself. I started volunteering for Voices For Life as a sidewalk advocate just a few weeks before the trip. As a sidewalk advocate in South Bend, I try to give health care resources and talk to people coming and going from the local Planned Parenthood. Because abortion is illegal in Indiana, the worst that Planned Parenthood does is refer patients for abortions. Sidewalk advocacy at the Champaign Abortion Clinic was very similar in intent and objective, but with stakes much higher.
The Gravity of the Situation
At the Equity Clinic in Champaign, the only service they provided is abortion. That means for the most part, every single person walking in was about to make a life-altering decision. I felt a heaviness every time a woman walked through those doors. It’s tragic that they have a choice and can choose not to go through with the abortion. For this reason, the level of urgency of the sidewalk advocates was higher than in South Bend. None of us were yelling at the women going in, but there was more desperation and emotion in the pleas asking the women to look at the resources we had and to talk to us.
The only part that was worse than watching the women walk in was watching them walk out. Many of them came out very slowly and injured looking. It appeared as if they were getting out of a car after a crash. Often, it was the boyfriend or husband who helped the woman back in the car. There is something very admirable about a guy helping the woman he loves when she is in need. However, there is also something very wrong with approving and sometimes even pressuring a woman to get an abortion. The woman, as well, has a mixture of motives. Some of them looked very hesitant as they walked in. I doubt having an abortion is what they wanted to happen. I say this not to blur the lines of morality, but to give a realistic picture of what is happening. Abortion is more than an intellectual debate. I find the pro-life view well reasoned, but many on the other side object on emotional grounds. Visiting the clinic helped me see this and made the problem feel much more real.
Conflict
While carpooling to the clinic one of our topics of conversation was what we were more nervous about. One of the volunteers was afraid about the safety of all the volunteers. This is a valid fear, because violence towards pro-lifers does occur. I was bracing myself for a range of screaming, yelling, and potential conflict. To my surprise, we encountered little resistance. The only real incident I witnessed involved a woman picking up her friend at the clinic, who yelled playground insults at us, calling everyone ugly. After the woman was done yelling, Melanie told us that there was a good chance that she had previously had an abortion. Before the woman who yelled at us left with her friend, several volunteers had the opportunity to speak with both of them. Melanie’s insight ended up being confirmed when the driver told one of our volunteers that she had two abortions. She was not very receptive to anything our volunteers had to say, but the woman who was in the clinic took one of the bags filled with health care resources.
The lesson I learned from this brief conflict is that you have to defuse some of the emotions before having a true dialogue. As a sidewalk advocate, the pastoral needs must come before any discussion of right and wrong.
When You Don’t Know What To Say
The fear that I shared in the car before the trip was not knowing what to say or saying the wrong thing. One of my car-mates reminded me of the verse where Jesus says, “For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to say” (Luke 12:12). It was a reminder that we aren’t the ones who change the hearts of others. It is God working through us that does that. With that attitude, we have less of a burden to say the perfect line. Not every conversation we have will change someone’s mind, but we provide an opportunity for God to bring change.
When one of the newer volunteers told me about the same concern, I gave a more pragmatic answer. Trusting in the Spirit and not worrying is good and essential, but I also prefer to have some kind of plan. I told him that his main objective was to pass along the bag of resources and to listen to the other person. Some volunteers were very experienced and could go through many talking points effectively. But if you aren’t comfortable, I think it’s better not to start making things up. The resources speak for themselves and refer to people who are true experts in whatever the person may need. You can also never go wrong in listening and asking basic questions. Like I mentioned earlier, for most people, this issue is very emotional. One of the best ways we update and refine our ideas is by speaking them out loud and realizing where we might be wrong. When a pro-life person patiently listens to a pro-choice person, even if they say nothing convincing, they could walk away having respect for the movement because they were treated with respect. This is the planting of seeds. I do not believe you need to be an expert on all the pro-life arguments to make a huge impact.
What Good is It?
One of the other concerns I had going into sidewalk advocacy is the downtime in between talking to people. I’m someone who always wants to be doing something. I constantly worry about “wasting my time.” Although I do still struggle with this a little, I am convinced that none of the time at an abortion clinic or at a Planned Parenthood in Indiana is wasted.
On the practical level, having people outside abortion clinics acts as a deterrence. According to Sidewalk Advocates For Life, “When there is a peaceful, prayerful presence in front of an abortion facility, Planned Parenthood regularly documents up to a 75% no-show rate.” It’s easy to imagine someone contemplating an abortion, then seeing people outside and choosing to keep driving. While at the clinic, there were a few cars slowly driving towards us and then turned right elsewhere. They might not have intended to go to the clinic, but imagine if even one of them changed their mind. How much time would you wait if you knew one abortion was prevented?
My favorite defense for enduring the wait is the idea that God uses our sacrifices for the good. Paul writes, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). We are able to unite our sufferings, no matter how small, to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. I believe that God does something with that time I’m waiting. I’m not sure how, but my faith that he does helps overcome my worries.
Final Words
I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to be involved in this pro-life ministry. My experiences have already been very life giving. I highly recommend others getting involved volunteering for Voices For Life whether that is sidewalk advocacy, door to door conversations, or going on the next trip to an abortion clinic.
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