Christians march to remind of religious persecution
Photograph by: Gavin Young, Calgary Herald
Waving flags and donning red T-shirts and hats, hundreds of Christians took to the streets of downtown Calgary on Sunday to march and praise Jesus Christ.
Chris Friesen joined the March for Jesus to remind others that Christians around the world are being persecuted for their faith.
Friesen said he had just returned from an eight-day trip to Colombia, where he interviewed many people.
“I’m (at the March for Jesus) to encourage fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to remember our other brothers and sisters around the world who couldn’t do this publicly,” he said.
The event also brought something not seen too often anymore: a small aircraft dragging a banner across the sky.
The banner read: CHRIST IS COMING BE PREPARED!
Donna Kenner, who has been a Christian for 30 years, credits her faith with her helping through the deaths of people in her life.
She said Jesus brought her out of “hopelessness” and “I wouldn’t have survived if it wasn’t for my faith.”
Marchers began Sunday afternoon at Shaw Millenium Park and then headed into downtown along 8th Avenue before finishing at Olympic Plaza.
Most participants came from Calgary and other parts of Alberta.
One of those, 16-year-old Josh Williams, said the march was a way to worship the Lord and help them become bolder with their faith.
Ryan Stockert said there are marches all the time in Calgary, but they deal with what is current. March for Jesus is about eternity, he said.
“We want to show the world that God isn’t some big ogre with a crushing hand, but he sent his son to die for us,” he said. “That’s sacrifice.”
