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“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13 (NIV)

Just as a body has many parts and all the parts work together for the benefit of the whole, the family of God is spurred to encourage and build up one another, so the family lives in harmony.

In an old episode of The Waltons, John Boy (John Walton, Junior) was faced with an emotional crisis. He witnessed a historic disaster; the explosion of the German airship LZ 129 Hindenburg. It was a hard structure aircraft carrying 97 passengers, and as it was preparing to land at the Naval Air Station Lakehurst, near New Jersey in 1937 it exploded. John Boy was an aspiring journalist from a very small town. The fact that he witnessed the catastrophe and would write about it for newspapers around the area turned John Boy into a hometown hero. Everyone was singing his praises for having been present at such a horrid event.
What the townspeople did not know, however, was that John Boy wasn’t excited about what he had seen or experienced. On the contrary, he was tormented by visions of what had taken place, especially one female passenger who was severely burned by the oil from the aircraft. She exited the wreckage in flames screaming at him for help. John Boy did not want to make a name for himself by putting into the written word the chaos and panic that took place in New Jersey on that day.

Sometimes we are numbed to other people’s pain and suffering. Instead of extending a hand and helping, we watch as people get hurt and killed as if that were supposed to be the norm. We really should stop to consider that the same tragedy could happen to someone close to us. A good Samaritan once taught us a lesson of kindness. What did he do? He saw the need, and he reached out to save the life of a man he never once met before. We can, too!

“Father, remind us to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn.”
For His Glory

Luska Suzano
TRBC Coffee Break