Devotion to Others
Altruism,
the “unselfish
regard for or devotion to the welfare of others” or defined by colleagues as
loving others as you love yourself, a behavior or act that helps another at
your own cost, or self-sacrifice that benefits others. Have you ever done something where your sole
intention was to help or save someone without concern for yourself?
Headstones
We all like to think that we are
able and willing to rise to the occasion during times of great crisis. We all
aspire to emulate what the heroes of our time might have done in similar
situations. The Bible passage, John
15:13, comes to mind when I am faced with extreme crisis – “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s
life for his friends.” A few years back
over Memorial weekend I visited Arlington National Cemetery with a military
friend and my wife. As we walked through
the grounds I viewed many headstones inscribed with John 15:13.
Those headstones reminded me that those were individuals who gave their
life for the sake of others.
Could I Do That?
The
underlying theme is an act or behavior that promotes the survival opportunities
of others at a cost to your own life. I have
witnessed this throughout my life more times than I can remember. In the military, I witnessed many acts of
altruism. Working with the Red Cross
there were many instances where acts of altruism made the difference. There is one instance that has stuck with me
for a very long time. Years ago there
was a terrible airplane crash; it was the dead of winter and the aircraft ended
up skidding into the frozen / freezing cold river. I remember vividly to this day watching a
passer by jump into the frozen / freezing cold water to save people. I recall thinking “could I do that?” In the end, the would-be rescuer did not make
it – he lost his life. He put his life
on the line by not hesitating to jump in to provide assistance to those hurt in
the crash.
I leave you with this quote:
"There is a power in love
that our world has not discovered yet. Jesus discovered it centuries ago.
Mahatma Gandhi of India discovered it a few years ago, but most men and most
women never discover it. For they believe in hitting for hitting; they believe
in an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth; they believe in hating for
hating; but Jesus comes to us and says, "This isn’t the way." And
this morning, I think of the fact that our world is in transition now. Our
whole world is facing a revolution."
Martin Luther King, Jr.
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