The Continuous March for Life
Last Friday was the March for Life in Washington D.C. As you can suppose, it was a (ginormous) group of people coming together to march for life. As part of the Pro-life movement, marchers are in support of the end of abortion and support rights of every unborn child. You can learn more about it at https://marchforlife.org.
The Old Testament Marches
There are many marches we can look at in the Old Testament. Abraham marches out of Ur and to the land of the Canaan at God’s command. Jacob and his sons marched to Egypt to live with their exalted brother, Joseph. The Israelites marched through the Red Sea to their freedom from slavery.
One major march for life we can find in the Old Testament is the falling of Jericho. The Israelites did not attack Jericho but marched around the city of Jericho at God’s command. They marched once a day for six days, and on the seventh day, they marched seven times around the city. Finally, after a great shout, the walls of Jericho fell and the Israelites took the city.
Of course, throughout the rest of the Bible, the Israelites march into battle or march from one city to another. From forty years in the desert to the time in the promised land. Once the First Temple was made, many marched to the Temple in Jerusalem. With the Temple destroyed, they even marched to their exile in Assyria and Babylon. Yet, King Cyrus of Persia permitted the Israelites to return to their land and rebuild their Temple. When the Second Temple was erected, thousands would march to the Temple, particularly during the feast of Passover.
The New Testament Marches
Still, probably the most important march that has happened in human history is one involving a man, his pregnant virgin wife, and the Son of God made flesh. Joseph, and Mary with Jesus inside her, marched from Nazareth to Bethlehem, which would have been a several-days journey. They marched into the city that was foretold by the prophets that Emmanuel would come from Bethlehem.
Once Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary had to eventually flee the land of Judea (where Bethlehem was) and march to Egypt (interestingly, the same march that Israel went into Egypt and out of Egypt).
Why March?
Marching has a military-like style. It is not marching aimlessly but with a purpose. Even more so, it often is a fight—even a war. For the modern 2024 March for Life, the end goal is to save children from abortion and any injustice to the unborn or born child. We must fight for a culture of life and protect the unborn! Jericho’s goal was to pass safely through Jericho’s mighty walls. God used marching as a means of the wall collapsing, and the Israelites getting to march into the promised land. As God’s chosen people, Israel conquered Jericho. Then, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph knew a thing or two about marching. They marched first in obedience to Caesar when going to Bethlehem, and then they marched to Egypt to flee King Herod and his order to kill any baby or young child. Jesus definitely did a lot of marching once He turned thirty. I bet that in a sort, He marched to the Cross.
Could it be that God is calling all of us to march into eternity? If so, we must do so with thousands of others, like at Jericho and thousands of years later, at the March for Life. We also must do so with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Not alone! Let us continue the march of the prophets and saints. Let us march into the heavenly kingdom. We will have to fight for this end goal, but nothing will be impossible for Jesus, who has already won the war for us on the cross.
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