Thursday, July 18, 2013

Tsunamis, Radiation, and the Sacrificial Love of God


A former manager at the famous Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant died last week.  He had managed the plant the day the 2011 Tsunami struck and became known for his heroic response.  His story is inspiring.
           
In 2011, a record setting earthquake and tsunami damaged several reactors at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant.  The reactor overheated and threatened northern Japan with toxic levels of radiation.  The manager led 250 plant employees in repairing the damage and minimizing the threat.  They worked around the clock, exposed to high levels of radiation, risking their lives.  They did it because they cared about their community.  They did it because they loved Japan. 

These types of stories inspire Christians.  They inspire us because we recognize the incredible sacrifices people make for those they love.  They inspire us because it reminds us of the love God has for us.  God sacrificed his son out of love for us.  The Gospel John says there is no purer form of love than that sacrificial love.  John writes  There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends.”

We may not be asked to give our life this week, but we can sacrifice small things out of love.  We can give the time we intended to be “me time” to our loved ones.  We can save the money we wanted to spend eating out and give to a friend in need.  We can give a little less to our career and a little more to the people we love.  We can sacrifice out of love.  The testimonies of those at Fukushima show us that such sacrifice is truly great.  The Gospel of John tells us that, through Christ, sacrificial love will save the world. 

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