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The presence of Liberty students at the March for Life each year helps show the world that authentic Christianity is not just about adhering to biblical principles in private but acting on those beliefs publicly to try to make a better society — and bring that society closer to God.
Last Friday, Liberty University took more than 1,000 students on a day trip to the 52nd National March for Life, held in Washington D.C.
The number of students attending this year’s March was more than twice the 500 who attended a few years ago.
After an early morning bus ride to the capital, the group gathered outside Union Station. Ryan Helfenbein, executive director of the Freedom Center, led them in prayer. They were also joined by U.S. Congressman John McGuire, who represents Virginia’s 5th district, which includes Lynchburg and Liberty University.
Together, the group recognized that “We march because we are made in the image of God,” and even though Roe v. Wade has been overturned, the mission of ending abortion goes on.
Liberty students were then led to an exciting pre-rally across from the White House adjacent to Constitution Avenue. During this event, they heard encouraging remarks from prominent national figures, including newly elected Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Christian surfing star Bethany Hamilton, and Vice-President J.D. Vance.
Vance applauded the crowd for traveling to the National Mall and standing up for life, and also delivered a series of pro-family remarks in his speech, stating,
“We need a culture that celebrates life at all stages, one that recognizes and truly believes that the benchmark of national success is not our GDP number or our stock market, but whether people feel that they can raise thriving and healthy families in our country.”
President Trump also made a virtual appearance at the pre-rally through a pre-recorded video. Still in the first week into his second term, the new President promised to prevent progressive-backed demands that would enshrine a national right to abortion and highlighted his pardons of 23 pro-life activists who were unjustly convicted and imprisoned under the FACE Act.
Throughout the March, Liberty students boldly proclaimed that the fight for a culture that values life is far from over, shouting chants like, “We are the pro-life generation!” and “We will abolish abortion!”
The representation of both the school’s Christian faith and devotion to the pro-life cause was on full display before a national audience as students joined a march that spanned from the foot of the Washington Monument, across the National Mall, and past the U.S. Capitol.
Liberty’s presence at the March for Life is a continued reflection of its willingness to engage the culture.
In an August 1980 discussion on the role of religion and politics on The MacNeil/Lehrer report for PBS News Hour, Liberty founder Dr. Jerry Falwell Sr detailed how, for many years, he preached against Christians getting involved in politics, echoing the common misconception that churches should stay in their lane and the government should take care of political issues. Yet, in this episode, Falwell went on to explain why he changed his approach,
“I preached against what I’m doing 20 years ago, 15 years ago, because I never really believed that a Supreme Court of this country would legalize abortion on demand…which is murder… It is and has resulted in seven to eight million murders of defenseless little babies since that time. That was the one catalyst that probably moved me into action more than anything else.”
The annual presence of now more than a thousand Liberty students marching for life in Washington D.C. helps show a national audience that genuine Christianity is not just about adhering to the principles of a Biblical worldview in your private life. It’s also about acting on those beliefs publicly to try to better society and, in the process, bring that society closer to God.
James 2:26 reminds us, “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”
As believers in the God of the living, it is not sufficient for us to simply have and possess a Biblical worldview. We are also commanded to have a framework by which we can apply those beliefs to stand for the things God loves. In doing this, Christians can show a world far from God what it means to truly live for Christ authentically and powerfully and challenge the thinking of a society that does not value life.
As Dr. Falwell would say, “We do believe that there is a majority consensus out there that has been apathetic, asleep, uninvolved and that we have got to come to the forefront now.”
For far too long, Christians have been content to sit on the sidelines and failed to apply their faith to the most critical issues of the day. Nothing is more important than life and speaking up for the most vulnerable among us. For the sake of humanity, it is not good enough for Christians to leave politics up to the politicians. We must labor in the political realm to help produce a society that is more faithful to the Gospel, as the fields are ripe for harvest!
Photo: Liberty University students at the 52nd Annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. Credit: James Black
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