Sometimes someone gives their life for others in an incredibly heroic way as when Corey Comperatore, without a moment’s hesitation when he heard shots, threw his wife and daughter down and covered them with his body. I suspect his heroism was not new, but had been built up bit by bit in moments of his life that were not on public display. When it was needed, he acted out of who he was and we rightfully celebrate his actions.
Headlines, media reports, and history celebrate and will remember him. Rightfully so.
We need to remember heroism isn’t limited to actions that merit headlines in earthly media. That doesn’t mean that everyday acts of sacrifice, of giving up your life in little ways, in saying “no” to what you want or want to do, in donating something you need, in choosing to live a life that serves others instead of a constant focus on what entertains you or your family is not noticed or recorded.
Imagine heaven has a newsletter and these are the headlines—
Mary volunteered for an extra shift in the church nursery when her friends went to brunch!
And it was to a place she’d wanted to go for weeks. She didn’t tell anyone that or that she hadn’t eaten anything on this particular Sunday morning as she was looking forward to this special lunch. She was hungry as she soothed crying babies and changed dirty diapers.
Jeffery stepped up to coach a group of kids hoping to go to the Special Olympics!
No one knew he did it on the one day of the week other than Sunday that he had off. Nor did anyone know he used the money from his work bonus to buy their uniforms as he and his wife agreed that some badly needed repairs on their home could wait a little longer to be done.
Allison cares lovingly and faithfully, day after day, for her husband with early-onset Alzheimers!
When she talks to the Lord about it, she doesn’t ask “Why me?” she asks for strength to do all she needs to do. She expresses love in every way she can and looks through his blank eyes and imagines Jesus looking back at her.
If heaven had such a newsletter, it would most certainly overflow the quiet, unrecognized actions of Jesus’ disciples who give up their lives, their preferences, what might make them feel good or rested, or even those things that might be legitimately enjoyed for the sake of what seemed more important for the Kingdom of God.
They won’t get a special report on CNN, but one day, one day, their actions will be recognized and rewarded by the only Audience that truly matters.
All day, every day we choose who to give our lives to
If we choose ourselves, it might feel good. It might feel very good for a long time. Self-absorption has satisfying payoffs, there is no denying that.
If we choose to die a little or a lot to ourselves to act or give or live a life of service to someone else it will hurt, sometimes a little, sometimes a lot, and sometimes for a long, painful slog. When we choose to die in these ways—part of us dies and death hurts. We shouldn’t deny the cost.
Yet always after the pain of death comes the extraordinary Christian paradox of resurrection, sometimes in three days, sometimes much longer, but it will come.
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13
For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? Matthew 16:25-26