The following was submitted by Reverend Allan Wintersteen pastor of Santa Cruz United Methodist Church. He faxed me this as an attempt to help me with my sermon. Thanks Allan!
In a concentration camp of American prisoners, the guards had so intimidated the prisoners and so violated ever code of civilized treatment that conditions were horrible. The prisoners had tried to cope by a dog-eat-dog existence. to survive, each man was out for himself. Prisoners stole food and medical supplies for themselves, robbed each other, ratted on other prisoners in order to get favors from the guards, and isolated new prisoners who came into the camp.
One day as they were coming in from a work detail and putting away the tools, the guards discovered that a shovel was missing. The guards were irate and lined the prisoners up and threatened them.
Finally the guards said, "If the person who stole this shovel does not come forward in ten seconds, we are going to shoot all of you."
After a long silence, the guards cocked their guns and prepared to shoot. Finally one of the prisoners stepped forward.
The guards pounced on him, beat him with their gun butts, and shot him to death.
When the guards told the prisoners to finish putting away the tools, a strange thing happened. All the shovels were there. No shovel had been missing after all. In shock and silence the prisoners went back to their barracks.
It took a while for it to sink in that one of the prisoners had voluntarily given his life so that the rest would not be shot.
Gradually, the attitudes of the prisoners began to change in the camp. Other acts of sacrifice began to take place. Prisoners began to share medical supplies with each other. They formed teams to attend to each other's wounds and illnesses. Some created make-shift artificial limbs for weak prisoners who had lost an arm or a leg in the war. Some sick prisoners actually gave their food to weak prisoners who had a better chance of survival. Others risked death by sneaking outside the camp to procure food for the sick. They established a secret system of communication to give each other information and support. They welcomed new prisoners and quickly incorporated them in their network. The generosity was contagious.
In the midst of the most horrible conditions, there emerged a remarkable society of prisoners, all made possible by the effect of this one fellow prisoner who gave his life for them to live.
And just as the example of one man empowered the other prisoners to take risks for each other, just so telling the story enables those who hear it to experience that empowerment in their own lives."
from Ernest Gordon (Miracle on the River Kwai)
I think Reverand Wintersteen has given us via the Gordon story a remarkable example of courage.
What do you think? Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have others read your response click on the box below.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Charles Schuster
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1 comment:
I agree that the Gordan story is a remarkable example.
I also think that real courage is displayed in the unremarkable day to day stands that people take.
There are times that your head and heart tell you to do or say something that every fiber of your being says is well beyond your comfort zone. You step out and do it anyway. There's real courage there.
To reach out and talk to someone who's sick, or homeless, or suffering addictions...this is often difficult for many of us to do. Yet I've watched our youth step up and do just that in their service projects and mission trips. They've reached beyond their instincts and showed real courage.
Sometimes it's a matter of just plugging forward when you think you're too tired to go on. And sometimes it's realizing that it's time to step aside for someone else.
In which story of the fight against Goliath did David show more courage? Was it when he stepped up as a youth when all else were afraid to take the challenge? Or was it just as much in his later years when he realized he could no longer fill that role and had to turn things over to Elhanan?
I think in each of these instances there is a recognition of a place we have to be even though we really don't wish to go there. The courage is demonstrated when we take that first step away from our comfort zone towards something greater than ourselves.
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