(This article is essentially the same as my Remembrance Day message of this year, preached at the Stone Church.)
One of my favourite movies is “Saving Private Ryan”. It tells the story, loosely based on a true story, of a troop of American soldiers, led by Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks), set in the days following the storming of Omaha Beach in June 1944, a turning point in the Second World War. Captain Miller’s troop is assigned to find a Private James Ryan, missing in action, whose three brothers had been killed in action. The movie unfolds as this group of soldiers find Private Ryan, and attempt to bring him back to safety on this side of the ocean.
Ryan refuses, unwilling to abandon his post, mindful of the lives lost in search of his own life. In the final battle of the film, Ryan, Miller, and the troop hold off the German army from advancing over a strategic bridge in a town called Ramelle, but not without casualties. Miller falls victim to the enemy forces. In his dying breaths, Miller whispers to Ryan, “Earn this. Earn this.”
Miller’s exhortation to Ryan was to live a good enough life to deserve what others did for him – that he be “worth it”, that he go on to cure a disease, or something of value. They laid down their lives, so that he could be free. So, “Be good enough to deserve this.”
At the end of the movie, the grown Ryan, 50 years later, is at the cemetery in France. He stands before Miller’s headstone, and says these words: “Every day I think about what you said to me that day on the bridge. I tried to live my life the best that I could. I hope that was enough. I hope that, at least in your eyes, I've earned what all of you have done for me.”
Ryan then turns to his wife and says, “Tell me I’ve lived a good life. Tell me I’m a good man.” Obviously he lived his life, trying to earn the sacrifice someone else made for him, but always unsure if he would ever be good enough.
I think the appropriate response in view of such a costly sacrifice is to be thankful, to live a life of gratitude. This month we thank our veterans, those who sacrificed their lives for us. We cannot earn the sacrifice, but we can be grateful.
In the same way, let us not try to earn what God has done for us, but instead, be grateful for it. “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8)
One of my favourite movies is “Saving Private Ryan”. It tells the story, loosely based on a true story, of a troop of American soldiers, led by Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks), set in the days following the storming of Omaha Beach in June 1944, a turning point in the Second World War. Captain Miller’s troop is assigned to find a Private James Ryan, missing in action, whose three brothers had been killed in action. The movie unfolds as this group of soldiers find Private Ryan, and attempt to bring him back to safety on this side of the ocean.
Ryan refuses, unwilling to abandon his post, mindful of the lives lost in search of his own life. In the final battle of the film, Ryan, Miller, and the troop hold off the German army from advancing over a strategic bridge in a town called Ramelle, but not without casualties. Miller falls victim to the enemy forces. In his dying breaths, Miller whispers to Ryan, “Earn this. Earn this.”
Miller’s exhortation to Ryan was to live a good enough life to deserve what others did for him – that he be “worth it”, that he go on to cure a disease, or something of value. They laid down their lives, so that he could be free. So, “Be good enough to deserve this.”
At the end of the movie, the grown Ryan, 50 years later, is at the cemetery in France. He stands before Miller’s headstone, and says these words: “Every day I think about what you said to me that day on the bridge. I tried to live my life the best that I could. I hope that was enough. I hope that, at least in your eyes, I've earned what all of you have done for me.”
Ryan then turns to his wife and says, “Tell me I’ve lived a good life. Tell me I’m a good man.” Obviously he lived his life, trying to earn the sacrifice someone else made for him, but always unsure if he would ever be good enough.
I think the appropriate response in view of such a costly sacrifice is to be thankful, to live a life of gratitude. This month we thank our veterans, those who sacrificed their lives for us. We cannot earn the sacrifice, but we can be grateful.
In the same way, let us not try to earn what God has done for us, but instead, be grateful for it. “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8)