Every January, thousands of people gather on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., because they know that abortion is the single most significant and horrific human rights abuse of today. The March for Life may be a small nonprofit, but each year we organize one of the largest annual human rights demonstrations. We as a country have lost more than 59 million Americans since Roe v. Wade was decided on January 22, 1973, and so many women carry the wounds of choosing abortion.
We’ve been at this for quite a while – this year will mark the 45th annual March for Life. Our event is peaceful and nonviolent. Love is our mission. We work to end abortion; we seek a time when abortion is unthinkable. The March for Life is the only event that brings together the entire pro-life community: from legislators to entertainers, from sports figures to religious luminaries.
Our themes, which are carefully chosen each year, are an opportunity for educating pro-life Americans. We desire to refresh and equip our supporters. We try to pick a message that they need to hear.
Recent March for Life themes were 2014’s “Adoption: A Noble Decision” (highlighting the sacrificial love of birthmothers) and 2015’s “Every Life is a Gift” (little ones with a disability are no less a gift than any other child).
The 2018 March for Life theme is “Love Saves Lives.”
Love and sacrifice go hand in hand. Love is universally attractive because it is directed toward others. Choosing life isn’t always easy, but it is the loving, empowering and self-sacrificial option. We won’t solve one problem by creating another. Society is right to consider poverty, health care and countless other challenges. But we believe that abortion will never be the solution to those issues.
So, how does love save lives?
At this year’s March for Life conference, we are going to hear about just some of the ways. For example, Focus on the Family’s Kelly Rosati, also a March for Life board member, will share her own beautiful story of love saving lives, including how she and her husband have adopted four children out of foster care in order to give them a stable and loving home.
We will also learn about a new report, published by the Charlotte Lozier Institute and March for Life, that compiles data from thousands of pregnancy care centers across the country. Love is the DNA of the pregnancy care movement, which is primarily staffed by volunteers and seeks to provide various (and free) resources for those facing an unexpected pregnancy. These centers provide many types of assistance to mothers and families in need.
The next day, January 19, is the March for Life rally itself. Pam Tebow, mother of Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, will share the “love saving lives” story of when she was counseled to abort Tim during a high-risk pregnancy. We will also hear from former NFL player Matt Birk and his wife, Adrianna, as they recount their family adoption story.
Most importantly, the more than 100,000 participants at the March for Life will have the opportunity to consider how their decisions and sacrifices can bear fruit as they embody this year’s theme. Some of their choices might be more visible than others, but no act that chooses love and life is insignificant.
Please consider joining us in some way this year, whether in person, following along on TV, praying, engaging in social media or simply making a loving sacrifice. For more information, visit us at MarchForLife.org.
Jeanne Mancini is president of March for Life.
