Translating a World on the Edge

Sacrifice does not mean giving up something for nothing; it means giving up one thing for something else we believe is worth more.

Sacrifice is part of the very definition of what it means to truly love another person. In fact, intimate relationships require sacrifice. I think we understand this most in the context of family, because we do sacrifice for our spouse, our children, and our parents. And one of the most important, and hardest, things to sacrifice for family is often our time.

 

Today’s society tries to obliterate sacrifice at every turn. Ads promise people that they can fulfill their desires without having to forsake anything at all. “Lose weight without giving up your favorite foods!” “Get a great body without long workouts!” “Get rich without having to work hard!” The denial of sacrifice is everywhere. How about our soaring credit card debts–and of course the national debt?

But it’s a fairy tale to think you can have whatever you want without sacrifice.

If you want to lose weight, you have to stop eating what puts the weight on. If you want to get ripped, you have to work out. If you want to be loved, and to love, you have to show another person that you would give up something of importance for them. Love and Sacrifice are intertwined–and they cost us, sometimes a great deal.

For Christians, the greatest sacrifice given out of love is the ransom Jesus Christ paid for us. And I believe the second greatest sacrifice was that of his mother, Mary. Can you imagine watching as your beloved innocent son suffered and died? Mary did something that only she and God have done. They both freely allowed their only Son to be a sacrifice for the salvation of the world.