Sacrifice

     During the fall of South Vietnam, thousands of what we regarded as our Vietnamese friends were brought out of the country. Over the course of a couple of days, hundreds of helicopter flights were flown from Saigon, to American aircraft carriers offshore. The North Vietnamese Army was pushing forward towards the capitol city, were within twenty five miles, and closing quickly.

    Chaos reigned in Saigon, as thousands of South Vietnamese troops attempted to blend into the civilian population, and poets and peasants alike flooded into the area around the United States Embassy.

    Dozens of United States Marines, M-16’s at the ready, guarded the embassy building, and were stationed within the walls around it. Personal documents were being hastily checked, as Vietnamese men, women, and children were either admitted, or denied admittance.

    Helicopters landed, and were quickly boarded, as other “choppers” paused, and hovered a few hundred feet away. It has been referred to as the greatest helicopter rescue in history. And it progressed with wonderful precision.

    One curious result of the massive airlift was the overwhelming speed of the rescue mission, and the corresponding lack of space on the American carriers. It so happened that South Vietnamese helicopter pilots became “unofficial participants” in the armada, as many of them ferried family, friends, and selves to the waiting ships. As they arrived, the decks were crowded, and many of our “unofficial friends” were forced to ditch in the ocean, and “swim for it.” In other cases, perfectly good American helicopters were pushed overboard, in order to make room for arriving flights.

    There were few glitches, as the mission proceeded, and caution was the watchword. One seasoned Marine sergeant warned his men to check every passenger that climbed up the stairs leading to the embassy helicopter pad.

    “Check everyone. Pat them down; men, women and children. I mean check them thoroughly. Even babies. Put your hand in their diapers.” 

     Well, that didn’t sit very well with some of the hardened Marines. They were used to shooting enemy combatants, but putting their hand in dirty baby diapers; well, that was an entirely different matter.

     “Oh, Sarge. You don’t expect us to do that!”

     Indeed he did, and he gave them “an ear full.” His tone was loud and certain.

     “You’ll do it and like it!”

      So they did, and by the time it was all over, they were glad they did.

For all kind of contraband was discovered, and as one particular Marine searched a baby’s diaper, he came out with more than human feces. In his hand he held a live grenade! Of course, the baby’s mother was denied the opportunity to board the helicopter; the result of what was obviously a sabotage attempt.

     Imagine. A mother willing to sacrifice herself and her child to bring down an aircraft and its occupants! For almost certainly, had she boarded the aircraft, she would have detonated the grenade.

     There have always been people willing to sacrifice their lives for one philosophy or another. We have only to consider what has been referred to as 911. John Kennedy once reflected, (on the day he was assassinated) that, “Killing the president would be easy if one were willing to sacrifice their life doing it.”

     And if we are surrounded by all manner of political and “religious” fanatics, who are willing to do anything to promote their cause, how can we resist the Siren Call that flows from heaven itself?

     St. Stephen knew that rare spiritual wherewithal that boldly faced down Saul; he who at the time was an Apostle of Death. And Stephen willingly submitted to the stones of his affliction and “gave up the ghost.”

     There are those like Stephen who have proceeded us. I would be remiss to omit Peter, that wonderful disciple who, like His Master, stretched out his hands, and died on a cross; upside down. Or my favorite apostle, Paul; he who had previously stood by while Stephen was stoned. But who, after his conversion, willingly laid his head on Caesar’s chopping block.

    We have but to read Hebrews Chapter 11. Time would fail me to elaborate on these wonderful saints. And we have Foxes Book of Martyrs. Christians throughout history have sacrificed life and limb for the Gospel of Christ.

     We, as “modern day Christians,” may avoid dying in His name. Most of us will, no doubt, die natural deaths. But I think we are too comfortable. I think, as Americans, we take life a little too much for granted. I think we’ve quit “storming the gates of Hell.” There’s much to be done, and I think sometimes our actions (or lack thereof) reflect poorly on those who have gone before us.

     If suddenly Jim Elliott, or Nate Saint, or any of the other three martyred missionaries of Through Gates of Splendor fame were resurrected, what might they say of us?

   What would Amy Carmichael’s opinion be? A recently deceased saint left little to be imagined, since she was both humble, and outspoken at the same time. Mother Theresa mourned the “weak-kneed” condition that permeates The Church.

    While we may never be called to die on behalf of The Saviour, all of us are called to live for Him. Not a mediocre, “just get-by” kind of living, but a vigorous, “storm the gates of hell” kind of living.

    We are called to excel. We are called to be all that we were ever meant to me. We are called to set the standard. We ought to wake up every morning and say, “Lord, help me to do something special with my life.”

“Seeing how we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us strip off everything that hinders us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1-2, KJV)

 By William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from "Musings"