Gonzaga Witness

Issue date: 4/5/06 Section: Faith

At World Youth Day 1993 in Denver, Pope John Paul II called upon young people to spread what he called the "Gospel of Life." Speaking to a million people, the late Holy Father said,
"The Church needs your enthusiasm, your youthful ideas, in order to make the Gospel of Life penetrate the fabric of society . . . go out into the streets and into public places, like the first Apostles who preached Christ and the Good News of salvation in the square of cities, towns and villages. . . Do not be afraid to break out of comfortable and routine modes of living. . . . It is you who must go out into the byroads and invite everyone you meet"
The gospel of Life, the Pro-Life message, is much more than a political battle for the lives of the innocent; it is a message of hope and salvation for many. It is a message that every last person on this earth is valuable and loved by God. It is a message that many have yet to hear and that we as young people are called to share with those around us as we begin to inherit positions of leadership in our world.
In 1995 a few students from Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio took up the call of the pope. They wanted to do something radical, something that could make a real difference for life. They brainstormed and came up with the idea of a walk for life across the entire country. While struggling with a name for this effort, one young woman had a dream that it was called Crossroads. Soon, they found themselves in San Francisco. They hand-lettered some t-shirts and began the journey with very little money. Somewhere along the way, someone donated an RV and they ended up speaking to over 100,000 people. Relying on God's providence and the kindness of strangers to get them through, they completed the first pro-life cross-country walk in 11 weeks. Mother Teresa of Calcutta wrote those first walkers a letter praising them for their efforts in the defense of the unborn. Ten years later, the Crossroads ministry has grown, but its spirit is the same. Now, three separate walks depart each summer from Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Their paths converge over 3,000 miles later in Washington, D.C. It is estimated that each year, over 1.3 million people are reached by this peaceful but radical witness.
This ministry, while powerful, effective and needed in the Pro-Life movement, is indeed a bit radical. It takes the right kind of person to do it. It really is a call from God. Last spring, after the death of our holy father, Pope John Paul II, I felt inspired by his life and in turn called to Crossroads. I have always been pro-life and here was a real opportunity to make a difference that appealed to my sense of adventure. The more I thought about it, the more I could not ignore this opportunity. It wasn't an easy path, but God's call never is. It was a leap of faith to commit my whole summer to Crossroads but I was repaid ten times over for that trust and the work I did for Him. Next time, it won't be so difficult to follow His call.
In a sort of relay fashion, we covered the entire distance between Seattle and Washington, D.C. via New York City in 11 weeks. Each person walked about 20 miles a day and as a group we covered about 80 miles in a 24 hour period. Every day it was possible, we attended Mass. On Sundays, we spoke at parishes. The most powerful witness, though, happened during chance encounters on quiet roadsides, between grocery aisles and in city parks. The other walkers and I discovered something we did not expect. America is largely pro-life. A solid majority welcomed our message.
Some people, including many family members and friends did not understand the purpose of this walk. One of many police officers we met alongside the road asked us, "What are you doing out here? You should be trying to change the laws; that is where you can make a difference." Admittedly, I think we all struggled with that question initially. Who was really going to see us walking in the rain at three a.m. on a Montana interstate? What difference were we really going to make? But as soon as we put in the effort, we saw and felt the difference we were making. A fellow walker, Carrie Cusick, put it best:
Then it hit me. Someone did see me walking. Someone did know how very much my left ankle throbbed, and how tired I was. God did. He saw and felt every step, and knew that it was for Him. And only He could change hearts. Suddenly, continuing on that path became the most important, the most personal prayer I had ever offered. I truly believed that lives of the unborn could be saved by my blindly putting one foot in front of the other on the side of a dark road in the middle of nowhere. And that's why the witness of Crossroads works: It is peaceful, it is prayerful, and therefore it is powerful.
God has a plan for each of our lives. The path we are destined to follow has been already chosen by our creator. It is just our job to find it, to discern exactly where it is He is calling us. We are not perfect in our faith and we will never be completely sure where God wants us. Oftentimes we will find ourselves way off the road. Somewhere we took a wrong turn and have become hopelessly lost. Even if we take a detour though, God is always leading us and calling us in the same direction. Sooner or later, if we are committed to His will, we will find ourselves back on the path that He intends for us. This past summer, I literally was on a journey, a path that God had called me to. And never in my life have I ever felt so much confirmation that I was on the right path, the one that God had chosen for me. < Nick Paradis is a junior at Gonzaga. If you would like more information on the Crossroads walks or how to join next summer's walks, go to the crossroads website - www.crossroadswalk.org or contact Nick personally at nparadis 'at' gonzaga.edu

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