Hyde Park, 21 September 2024
Human life is a precious, God given gift that is being destroyed through abortion. On the 21st of September about 1200 people gathered in Hyde Park for Love Sydney’s ‘Walk for Life’ to make clear their opposition to this devastating practice, and to take a stand for the unborn. The event was convened to be a voice for the voiceless and to show members of the public the importance of protecting human life within the womb. It not only brought awareness to the evils of abortion, but it also placed a great emphasis on the redemption and forgiveness that is found in Jesus Christ for all, including those who have had or participated in abortions.
We were welcomed to the event by Hannah Frenzel who emphasised the value of each individual human life and the responsibility that we have to guard each life, especially for those within the womb. She revealed that 87,000 abortions take place in Australia every year. By itself, this sobering statistic affirmed the need for our participation in the walk that afternoon. Rev David Ould then read Psalm 127 and prayed before we all sang In Christ Alone.
The first speaker was Jereth Kok, a former doctor who – five years ago – was suspended from medical practice for ‘thought crimes’, mainly for his anti-abortion stance. Dr Kok spoke of the cruel ways that babies who survive late- term abortions are left to die, and how the Australian Senate had recently decided to let this brutality continue. He also encouraged those attending to remain firm in standing against abortion despite the cost.
Then Juliet Ballinger, the co-founder of Eva’s Place, a pregnancy and early parenting support centre, compassionate pregnancy support. Despite the commonly told narrative, abortion is not the only way to deal with an unplanned pregnancy. Mrs Ballinger gave encouraging examples of how compassionate pregnancy support has directed many women away from opting for abortion, and toward practical care that sustains both the mother and the child. spoke on the importance of Dr Stephen Chavura spoke next. He compared abortion to slavery, stating that in the future we will look back at abortion and be shocked that we justified such a terrible practice. He gave great comfort to those who have been impacted by abortion through directing everybody’s gaze towards Jesus Christ who redeems, forgives and removes guilt.
The final speaker was the NSW/ACT Director for the Australian Christian Lobby, Joshua Rowe. Many believe that the abortion debate should be confined to women and in doing so neglect the very real impact that it has on men. Rowe opposed this view and stressed the great responsibility that we all, men included, have in speaking up for life. He emphasised that real men protect babies as well as the honour, dignity and modesty of women. Following the speeches we had the delightful privilege of hearing a baby’s heartbeat at was 34 weeks old in the womb. Many thanks to Amanda! The afternoon concluded with a peaceful walk throughout Hyde Park with signs which bore different messages such as ‘Love them both’, ‘Choose life’ and ‘Real men protect babies’. The Walk for Life 2024 was a gathering of many people united to stand against the godless practice of abortion. I pray that the Walk for Life will bear good fruit in the coming years and that many people will come to realise that every life is a gift.
Maeve Baker