Love Your Enemies, Pray For Them

The day after the tragedy at our Capitol I went out to pray at our local Planned Parenthood. It was abortion day. Some of you may know I carry a sign which reads, “I’ve been in your shoes, I still miss my babies, can I help you?” I stood quietly praying on the sidewalk near the street with some of the other prayer warriors. A young girl escort stood nearby in their drive; she seemed new to her task and a bit unsure of herself. Soon after, an older man drove in, donned the orange vest, grabbed his flag, and marched over to us, relieving the young girl of her duty to ‘protect’ those coming in for abortions from us.

“I suppose you’re happy about what happened at the Capitol yesterday.” He looked at me accusingly, having already judged me in some nice little box of a compartment in his hurting mind. “Why would you think such a thing? What would make you think that”, I asked him, stunned by the accusation? He assumed I had voted for Trump (no one’s business but mine). I told him it was a horrible thing and I knew of no one who was happy about it. So, I must have voted for Biden he stated. And so the conversation went. He was thinking how happy I was about the violence and I was thinking I couldn’t be any happier about that than I was for all the innocent lives he was ushering in to be killed.

There were many things he said, trying to incite those of us who were praying. A couple of statements which stood out to me were as follows:

• You people love death (the irony not lost on us as he was defending the choice of death to babies).
• You’re only here to make people feel bad (I asked if he read my sign. He said, ‘I don’t care about your sign.” Was that supposed to make me feel better then?).
• I don’t believe in God (no one asked or was evangelizing him).

This sad shell of a man is in great need, as is our nation. At the core of our national internal battles is the right to life and the dignity of life. He reminds me of not just the sickness of our nation, but of the putrefying stench of the death of souls who rejoice over extreme pro-abortion laws and the dehumanizing of humanity (or is that womanity now…I forget). His soul along with the soul of our nation leads me to grieve.

One of the last things I said to this poor man was that he was a sad, hurt, angry man. His biggest problem is he doesn’t know just how much he is loved. There was no reply. Not long after a car drove out, pausing by me as they rolled down their window to receive information we give for healing after abortion. The man intruded into my space on the sidewalk, looked at me, and said, “Keep your distance.” At this point, my only reply was that he was now in my space, and the next time he violated it I would call the police. As far as he knew this was the last of our interaction. He is very mistaken.

This man represents to me what is at the heart of our nation. I don’t hate him; I love him. It didn’t take long for the message to get out about our engagement on the sidewalk and there are so many dear souls praying for him. We pray for our nation as well, but he is someone close to us; he is our neighbor. We love him and grieve for his lost soul. He thinks we are his enemy but we pray for our enemies. The powers that be think we are their enemy to be silenced with the silent cry as the child is ripped from the womb, but we pray for them.

Pray with us. The battle is not over. It’s at a fevered pitch, likely to get worse. Be not be disheartened. Pick up your weapons (rosaries) and pray. As St. Joan of Arc stated, “I was born for such a time as this.” YOU were born for this time. Do not be dismayed. Our God is with us!

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44).