America has fallen in love with its soldiers and veterans, or so it seems. At almost every professional sports event, soldiers and veterans are honored in some way. Yesterday, ESPN aired a five-minute clip of dozens of surprise visits of military fathers and mothers to their families at home. In airports, soldiers in uniform often have strangers approach them to thank them for their service.
I laud the positive attention. It is so much better than what soldiers returning from Viet Nam faced. But doesn’t seem a little over the top? Is it possible we’re trying a little too hard to show our appreciation? And, if so, why is that? Could it be out of a sense of both relief and guilt? Relief that it is not us or those we love risking their lives for the sake of the nation? Or guilt from not wanting to take those risks and let others do it instead?
I ask these questions because of what I see in our culture. We dearly hold onto life and most are adverse to taking any risks or allowing others to take risks that may result in injury or death. So many laud those who volunteer for military service, while at the same time discouraging those they love from doing the same or even contemplating such service for themselves. The fear of risk is palatable.
I see the same fear in the Church. We often laud missionaries who serve in faraway lands, perhaps in dangerous circumstances, but would we ever consider such a work ourselves or encourage our children to take such a path? From what I have experienced, the answer is no. It is even difficult to get people to sign up for a short excursion into a mission field, let alone to make a career of it.
Jesus said to go into all of the world to make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20), but there are so few willing to go, particularly to dangerous locations, or who will allow their adult children to go. They think it too dangerous and they would prefer having their children and grandchildren safe and close.
This is why the Church in America needs to hear these words of Jesus. If we insist on holding onto our lives or the lives of those we love, we risk being on the wrong side of Eternity. “Whoever loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Do you love your parents so much that even if the Lord is calling you to a different place far away, you will not go? Do you love your son or daughter so much, that even if the Lord is calling them to live far away, even to risk their lives for His sake, you will fight to have your way instead of His? And do you love your life so much that you will hold onto it rather than risk danger or being uncomfortable if the Lord were to command you to take a different path?
These questions may seem extreme, but they must be posed because they come from the Lord. What does it mean to take up one’s cross other than to be willing to risk one’s life, to be uncomfortable, and perhaps to suffer as a result? Many of us have turned the cross into a shiny ornament, something to wear around our necks or display in the front of our church buildings. We forget that it was an instrument of suffering and execution and that we as followers of Jesus are supposed to pick it up and carry it.
Today, as we honor those men and women who were willing to put their lives at risk for the sake of our country, consider whether you are willing to put your life at risk, or allow those you love to do so, for the sake of obeying the Lord. Do you love Him more than all that is precious to you?
© Jim Musser 2014
No comments:
Post a Comment