Sacrifice
Usually I am on the run between this and that, meetings and appointments, but one day last week, I grabbed a Subway sandwich for lunch and realized I had about a half hour before I had to be somewhere. I hate to sit IN Subway because of how you come out smelling, so since it was a beautiful day, I went to a nearby park and sat to eat my lunch. It happened to be Gilbert Park in Portage, which is a monument park to police and firefighters who have served, and a remembrance of those who have died in the line of duty. In six years of serving in Portage, I had driven by Gilbert Park innumerable times but had never stopped. So I went and sat in front of the monuments and read the names as I ate my sub.
Thankfully, the names of those who served outnumbered the names of those who have died in the line of duty. But I was still humbled, as I always am, to remember that there have been people who have literally given their lives in order to protect and serve our community. They died, they served so that others might live, might be and feel safe. It was a quiet half hour as I sat there and thought about people I only knew because their names have been inscribed on a slab of stone.
The names there made me wonder what I would give my life for. We live in a selfish age, a time when most people look out only for themselves. Earlier generations were not surprised to see the names of those who had sacrificed for them; ours is because most of our culture can't imagine doing such a thing. We can barely imagine giving up our creature comforts for a few days to be able to go and serve on a work team or to help out a family in need.
Which is why it's so hard to talk to people about what Jesus did for us. Those firefighters and police officers were serving in a way that Jesus showed us. Giving our lives for the sake of someone else...greater love has no one else than this. It's hard to talk to people today about someone sacrificing their lives to save them because we can't imagine ourselves being able to do that—why would someone do that? One famous media mogul said he didn't need someone to die for him—he's take care of himself, thank you. Our culture has lost the ability to think about love in terms of sacrifice because we see love as only what we can "get" rather than what we can "give." Love has become something we toss away when it no longer benefits us—not something we continue to sacrifice for. Greater love has no one—we've failed to grasp this "greater love" and have most often settled for pale imitations.
Jesus gave his everything for you...because he could show his love in no better or more profound way. What would you sacrifice for? Who would you sacrifice for? What does sacrifice look like in your life?
Thankfully, the names of those who served outnumbered the names of those who have died in the line of duty. But I was still humbled, as I always am, to remember that there have been people who have literally given their lives in order to protect and serve our community. They died, they served so that others might live, might be and feel safe. It was a quiet half hour as I sat there and thought about people I only knew because their names have been inscribed on a slab of stone.
The names there made me wonder what I would give my life for. We live in a selfish age, a time when most people look out only for themselves. Earlier generations were not surprised to see the names of those who had sacrificed for them; ours is because most of our culture can't imagine doing such a thing. We can barely imagine giving up our creature comforts for a few days to be able to go and serve on a work team or to help out a family in need.
Which is why it's so hard to talk to people about what Jesus did for us. Those firefighters and police officers were serving in a way that Jesus showed us. Giving our lives for the sake of someone else...greater love has no one else than this. It's hard to talk to people today about someone sacrificing their lives to save them because we can't imagine ourselves being able to do that—why would someone do that? One famous media mogul said he didn't need someone to die for him—he's take care of himself, thank you. Our culture has lost the ability to think about love in terms of sacrifice because we see love as only what we can "get" rather than what we can "give." Love has become something we toss away when it no longer benefits us—not something we continue to sacrifice for. Greater love has no one—we've failed to grasp this "greater love" and have most often settled for pale imitations.
Jesus gave his everything for you...because he could show his love in no better or more profound way. What would you sacrifice for? Who would you sacrifice for? What does sacrifice look like in your life?
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