Life

Such is life: it ends in death. In movies and books the main characters may not dies, but if movies and books were real then you could rest assured that even the main characters will die. If in the movie or book or any story that characters cannot die, then you can rest assured that the story is not real life.

The greatest gift in life is life itself. Each day that we wake up and breathe and think and feel and loves is the greatest gift. Therefore the worst thin in life is death. It's the removal of the greatest gift. It's the loss of all that one person is. All suffer at the loss of life, for we are all connected.

The greatest love in life is also death. Through death all is abandoned and cannot be reclaimed. Where the greatest gift and greatest loss intersect is the greatest love. To willingly relinquish your life for another bears the greatest loss at expense of the greatest gift. There is no greater sacrifice and no greater love.

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friend." John 15:13

I'm inclined to disagree with Jesus on this point. At the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said we ought to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44). Indeed, the greatest love is making the greatest sacrifice for one's enemy.

God's love feels greatest to me not when I am acting as a friend of God, but when I am an enemy. Even in those times of rebellion God's love remains with me. In his crucifixion Jesus didn't only give his life for friends, but also enemies. Jesus demonstrated the greatest love and I too want to demonstrate that some day. Until then though, I want to show glimpses of the same love as I live thankful for each day.