“The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep…” 

Robert Frost’s immortal words echo in my brain as I recall my two weeks on the annual Crossroads cross-Canada pro-life walk.  I must confess that I felt confident going in:  After all, how hard can a walk across Canada be?  The journey began in Washington, D.C., from where seven of us drove the used but refurbished Crossroads R.V. across the northern United States to the city of Seattle, Washington.  After a few days visiting families of students on Vancouver island, I joined up with the Crossroads group to begin our trek:  On a blustery May 18^th, we dipped our toes in the Pacific Ocean at Kitsilano beach, and, donned with our emblazoned PRO-LIFE t-shirts, put one foot in front of the other. 

The first day took us through most of Vancouver, with numerous shouts of abuse and some of support; many people ignored us (or pretended to) or stared quizzically.  There were eleven walkers:  myself, 8 students from OLSWA, and 2 others, four females and 7 males.  Some others joined us for the beginning of the walk through the city, but by the end of the first day, we were left with the original eleven.  The next day commenced the walk through the countryside: Abbotsford, Mission, and into the rugged mountains of Highway 3. 

What followed was two weeks of joy and sacrifice.  It was not as easy as I had thought, to walk for 6 or 7 hours straight on a highway, with cars and semis whizzing towards you, the honks, whether of support or defiance we were not always sure, and the psychological pressure of having people in cars stare at you all day, and wonder, "what are they doing?", or "get off the road, you (fill in expletive)". 

As we walked, we were supported by a rental van, which always remained in close contact (well, 5 or 10 kilometres is close in the BC wilderness), with water, granola bars, fruit and sandwiches.  The RV drove ahead, and camp was set up.  In the evening, the whole group gathered for dinner, recreation and evening prayer, before the night crew departed on their infamous "night walk", whose purpose, as far as I could discern, was to pray, make up some miles, and offer up their invisible witness in the dark hours until dawn.  

The plan is for the group as a whole to cover the distance from Vancouver to Ottawa (or, more properly, Saint Anne de Beaupre, from where they drive back to Ottawa for the grand finale) by the second week of August, a total of about 5000 kilometres.  By that time, thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of people will have seen these brave, adamant young people walking, praying, and witnessing to life. 

I am honoured to have been part of the walk, even if but for two short weeks (which seemed longer than that, as I trekked along, windburnt, with aching feet, limbs and muscles).  I hope to return for part of the walk later in the summer, and I look forward to hosting the tired and hungry walkers as they pass through Barry’s Bay. 

There are numerous fronts in the pro-life battle, educational, spiritual, sacrificial, political.  In all these efforts, we have to keep awareness of the plight of the unborn and their mothers in the forefront of our complacent society.  Crossroads provides just such a witness for life, for the unborn, their mothers and fathers, and all those who may be ignorant of the great and inestimable dignity of each and every human being as a person made in the image of God.  May He reward the sacrifices of these young people, and the other walkers in the United States, and may the culture of life flourish in our land once again!   

Check out the blog of the walkers at www.crossroadscanada.blogspot.com