I entered college as a fresh-faced, enthusiastic evangelical Protestant. I was eager to change the world for Christ. At my large public university, many campus groups offered ways to fulfill those plans. My freshmen year I tried a number of them, such as Campus Crusade for Christ and Navigators, two evangelical “para-church” organizations. Neither, however, scratched my itch to make an impact on the world.
Then, near the end of my freshman year, my sister invited me to attend a meeting of the campus pro-life group. This simple invitation would lead to a series of events that would radically change my world.
I wasn’t a member for long before I became deeply committed. Although the pro-life group boasted a large membership roll, the number of truly active members was much smaller—less than a dozen. I soon discovered that I was the only Protestant among the ranks of the “active” members; the others were practicing Catholics. This inner circle welcomed me without reservation—no one questioned my pro-life convictions.
However, there was a natural distance between the Catholic members and me. When we went to the abortion clinic to pray, I stood off to the side fingering my pocket Bible while the others prayed a rosary. When everyone else attended Mass on Sunday, I was trekking down to the local evangelical church for some praise and worship.
