Academy Witness

Jim Pouillon, a strong defender of the pre-born, was gunned down last September, as he stood (as he had for over 20 years) as a pro-life witness near the local high school in Owasso, MI. Today, November 24th was declared by Jim's friends as "Jim Pouillon Memorial High School Witness Day." Across the country, pro-life Christians (to call oneself a Christian and not be pro-life is a gross oxymoron) assembled peacefully in front of high schools as witnesses to many things, including: the sanctity of life from conception to natural death; the sanctity of marriage as between one man and one woman; the sanctity of sex, only within the bonds of marriage; and the saving grace of God as demonstrated in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Norwich Free Academy, a privately endowed high school with a college-like campus, which has served as the local/area high school since 1854, was not without a witness today. This morning between 6:30 AM and 7:30 AM, the theology of the church became the biography of the street as a few committed souls braved the damp chill and the police restrictions, and handed out over 400 pieces of literature containing the truth of God's Word.

Because of abusive solicitation by many groups, including drug dealers, bar and strip club owners, etc. the school had struck a "license agreement" with the city of Norwich that the otherwise public sidewalk that surrounds two borders of the campus, and a small green directly in front of the main entrance would be treated as school property (and subject to its solicitation rules). Consequently, at 7:00 AM we had to push back another 100 feet and could no longer access students disembarking their buses.

There were two blessings in this. The head of security at NFA is a retired Norwich police officer and a deacon in the Catholic, known by me from my days in the insurance business. He bent over backwards to explain the rule to us and how it came to pass, and how it applied to everyone. He got the police Captain on the phone, who's wife used to work for me and whose sister has been in my church small group for years. He happens to be a strong believer, and went through the whole explanation, rather apologetically. Of course we cooperated quickly and fully. Now for the blessings.

In our new location we were able to interact only with students approaching the school on foot from the west. Quickly I found myself talking with a young lady (we now had time to talk instead of just handing out literature to kids on the fly). Because i was standing near our box of resources, I was able to give her a DVD entitled "Judgment Day: are Your Ready?" I told her that she was the only one to get one of these this morning, to which she responded, "I must be special." My immediate response was, "From God's perspective, you're very special." Immediately her countenance softened, her eyes glistened as she whispered, "Thank you." That moment alone made the morning worthwhile.

The second blessing was to return home and find an e-mail from the police Captain, in which he

thanked me for our group's cooperation, and closed with this statement: "It is a shame such rules need to be in place these days, however I do understand the need and felt you did as well. God's Word and the power of His love will be heard in spite of any regulation or distance."

Thank God for a wonderful opportunity to be Ambassadors for Jesus. God bless NFA, its administration, faculty and students; and God bless the men and women of the Norwich PD.