Full Quiver Mission Runs the Philadelphia Marathon! 

The City of Brotherly Love: NOT!!

On November 24th, Full Quiver Mission joined Life and Liberty Ministries once again to witness at yet another marathon. This race was much larger than the Richmond marathon we attended two weeks earlier. The result of that first race was that Bruce got onto the Runner's World Magazine discussion board and preached to the runners one-on-one for six days.

At the end of that exchange, Bruce announced that we would also be at the Philadelphia race, and that we would show up the day before the race to engage them in Fairmount Park, where a large Expo was set up for them. We set up at 4:00 pm. None of the runners that approached us identified themselves as having read the discussions, but some lively ones developed nonetheless.

In this exchange, this fellow is "offended" that the children are carrying text signs which read "Abortion Kills Children". He tells Bruce that he should teach them the "science behind the craft". Bruce responded, "the craft of sucking the heads and arms and legs off of little babies? That craft?" The young man, who professed to be a medical student, acknowledged that all abortions are done on a living human being with heart beat and brainwaves. His response was "So what?"  His friend, baffled that I would hold such a view blurted out, "I suppose you're against euthanasia, too!" He shook his head in disgust as Bruce explained that he was against killing babies and the old and infirm.

The next day we set up our signs very early, at about 7:00 am to insure a prime location along the river. Our signs were a witness to the vehicle traffic until the road was closed for the race at about 8:00 am. Already irate locals were chastising us for being at the race. Local street preacher Mike Marcavage joined us with a Truth Horn as well. We had over 20 signs spread out over 1/4 mile.  The event lasted for seven hours, the longest event we have ever done of its kind.

Mike Marcavage of Philadelphia preaches to the passing marathon runners and bypassers. Randy Beckman of Phoenixville, PA warns runners of what they are about to see.

This was arguably one of the most hostile crowds we have encountered. We were spit on many times, but we have come to expect that. But Bruce's 12-year-old son Jesse was approached by a 6-foot-3" middle-aged runner who threw his sign down and bodily threw Jesse to the ground. Bruce witnessed it and gave chase to the runner, asking bystanders to get the race number from his jersey. He stuffed his number under his jersey and kept running. A report was filed with the police against him and three other men. One grabbed the sign out of one of our men's hands, ran with it, and threw it across the street; another doused the street preacher with an entire quart of water; a bicyclist ran over one of the girls' signs. plainclothes Police tried to stop one of the runners, but he refused to stop.

Left: Ben Murch (17) is told by a passing runner: "Jesus wouldn't wear a jacket like that"! Somehow we doubt that the Lord of Hosts (translated "armies") would have a problem with Ben wearing a camo jacket. Right: Beverly and Hannah (12) were busy all day answering the runners and telling them the truth.

The course required that the runners go in a circle and return through the same area. The three men that had escaped ALL disappeared. In other words, they did not finish the race, and their trip to Philadelphia was ruined by the fact that they couldn't resist the urge to lash out physically at those who were standing for the babies. Serves 'em right. Some of the runners and bystanders were downright brutal. A bicyclist reported that there was a "crying child" holding one of the signs. That was our 9-year-old son, Evan. Bruce went to see what was wrong. Evan, with tears streaming down his face said, "That woman came up to me and said 'I couldn't care less about those babies'." Evan was weeping that anyone could be so callous and hard-hearted and uncaring as to look at the photos of dismembered little boys and girls and say, "I couldn't care less".

Left: Evan (9) holds his sign while Elijah (6) and Josiah (4) hand out the literature entitled, "Why are You Here With Those Disgusting Photos?" Right: Evan, after being told by a bystander, "I couldn't care less about those babies"

There were, as usual, some bright spots in the event, folks that were moved by the photos, runners that thanked us for taking a stand. But ultimately it is always successful when we do this. It is what the Scripture commands. We often quote Ezekiel 22:2, "Now , thou son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city?  Yea, thou shalt show her all her abominations."