I received some news last week that has set me to pondering. And thus, I blog. Hopefully it’s not just a cathartic avenue for me and these thoughts are of some benefit to someone.
I spent several summers working at a Christian kids’ camp, Camp Shamineau, in beautiful, northern Minnesota. I got word this week that one of my friends, a girl who used to work with me at Shamineau, died this week while on a Shamineau-led climbing/hiking trip. I haven’t seen or spoken to Julie in 5-6 years. Still, it was pretty shocking news and I spent some of this weekend being sad and mulling over the facts and the implications of the events that transpired. The outing was geared at getting inner-city kids out of the city, into the outdoors, and sharing the Good News of Jesus with them. Julie and one of the girls (17 years old) decided to wade out into the river after a day of hiking to rinse their hair. The girl got caught up in the current and lost her footing. Julie swam right after her and grabbed on to her hand, trying to pull her back to shore. As the story goes, she almost managed to grab a rock, but lost her grip, all the while maintaining her hold on this girl. In short order, the two of them were caught up in the very steep and rock-filled river. Then they went over a waterfall. All efforts to revive them failed.
It’s sort of stunning when you hear news like this. 29-year-olds on ministry trips don’t actually die hero’s deaths trying to save other people, do they? Well, it turns out they do sometimes. It occurred to me that while we may be tempted to bemoan Julie’s “tragic” and “untimely” death, that’s not at all the response we should have. As in an eariler post, I got to thinking that the reason death exists in this world is the absolute horrendousness of sin. Seeing anyone die, perhaps particularly 17 and 29-year-olds, should point to the futility (or vanity as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes would put it) of living under the curse. But still, in the midst of this futility to which we have been subjected, there is great hope…hope that creation will be set free from its bondage to decay. That setting free happens only in Jesus Christ. And I’m quite confident that even as I write, Julie is resplendent as she glories in the Shekinah glory of the Lamb who was slain for her sins. What a glorious hope that is!
I was also reminded of the words of our Lord from John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (Granted, this was an example that Jesus used and then immediately applied to Himself…but still, I think this isn’t out of context.) What is it that would motivate Julie, or any believer for that matter, to lay down their life for their friends? The answer, I think, can only be found in the hope that is in Jesus. For the believer, when life is viewed in light of eternity and the hope that is in Jesus, there is no reason not to lay down one’s life. I think that’s what motivated Julie, the hope and love of Jesus. That too is what should motivate me to lay down my life, metaphorically or literally, ever moment, of every day, for every person with whom I have contact. That’s what our Lord did, and that’s what we should do.
On a side note, here’s the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s writeup about the accident. And here’s a song written by Joel Hanson about Julie.
