We will observe Memorial Day on May 31st. This month, we will remember the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. Military. We observe this day every year as a way to recognize the greatest sacrifice that one can make and those who have made it. You might not personally know someone who died, but we all can personally understand sacrifice. If you are in the business of serving the greater good, being in service to better the lives of your neighbor, or caring for others, then you understand sacrifice. It might not be your life that you have been called to lay down, but maybe it is an hour, a day, or a week of your time that you are being asked to give up. As those who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ, we should have an awareness that sacrifice is a part of our Christian life. The interesting thing about sacrifice is that even though you are the one giving something up, you also end up being the one gaining something in return. Unless… there is no love. 1 Corinthians 13:3 tells us, “If I gave everything to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.” What is it about love that makes the sacrifice worth it? It is love that makes the sacrifice lasting. It is love that is contagious and makes the sacrifice multiply. When you read the stories about the people who have given their lives, and you begin to see more than just the sacrifice, but the love they had for their country and family, it is hard to not be inspired. It is love that makes others want to turn around and then do something good for another. It is love that never has an empty return, but always comes back full.
This month, I want to encourage you to do two things: 1) Look at the faces of the people whose pictures are hung up on the poles around town and choose one to learn more about. I wonder how their life, not just their death, can inspire you. 2) In honor of the lives that were given up for our freedoms, in honor of the life that Christ gave up for our salvation, exercise sacrificial love. I have no doubt you can come up with some creative ways to do that in your own life, but there are also many ways within our own community where you can do that as well. See page 2 and 5 of this month’s Minutes for more ideas on ways you can show sacrificial love and invest in the lives of others.
From One Light to Another,
Pastor Hannah Loughman