Greater Love

May 31

Memorial Day

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down their life for their friends.” - Jesus, Gospel of John 15:13

The essence of love is sacrifice and selflessness. There is no way around this truth. Jesus says it clearly himself and the scriptures uphold this idea throughout. Remember, this is how we even know what love is, that Jesus demonstrated it in his death: “By this we know love, that Jesus laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” (1 John 3:16) Memorial Day is a day we recognize those who gave their lives as soldiers. This is a blatant display of what Jesus calls “greater love”. There are so many reasons a person may serve, but it is hard to see paying the price of one’s life in any other light than selflessness in one form or another.

One of the ways that this “greater love” works out is by “remembering” the ones who have died. Once again, Jesus affirms this with the Lord’s Supper when he declares, “as often as you eat or drink this meal, do this in remembrance of me.” (cf. 1Cor.11:25) Remembering the “greater love” sort of sacrifices in the end transforms us, and makes us more loving. It is as if the ones who have died… who made the sacrifice… are saying, “do this for your own sake, not mine! Remember. Let this stir you on to greater love.” I know that Memorial Day has morphed into a more general celebration of those who have served, but at its heart is remembering those who have died selflessly. It is so much more than just a “long weekend”.

The truth is that we often take for granted those who have died for us. Christians do this with Christ at times- we lose sight of the benefits and blessings we have because he suffered and died. It is easy to forget the sacrifices others have made for us. May we be stirred to love one another today. May we remember well. May we set aside political differences for a moment to recognize the manifestation of a Christ-like idea worked out around us. “Greater love has no one than this…” - JDP