Where's Your Hill?

If a man hasn't discovered something he will die for, he isn't fit to live.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

As we observe Dr. King's birthday today - I found this quote to be rather thought provoking.

What is it you think is worth dying for?

Family?

A precious possession?

Money?

Principles?

Your country?

A complete stranger?
 

I've generally avoided confrontation as much as possible, or at least tried to have a conversation and a meeting of the minds.  There are times when our instincts take over in a situation that help us do things that need to be done that we might not otherwise take on if we had to consider the situation.

In a fictional scenario, I would like to think if confronted I would try to talk a gun wielding stranger into standing down and not harming people.  But, if it came to it, I wonder if I could actually put myself in front of a bullet as Secret Service men and women are trained and willing to do.

Our fire fighters and police put themselves in harm's way on our behalf.  So, do members of the military.  We've learned in the past few years of heroic teachers who have stood between a weapon and the children in their care.

Dr. King is talking about an even deeper level of commitment.  Something we believe is worth dying for... in other part of the world right now, Christians are dying because of their religious beliefs.  There are kids standing up to bullies taunts, slings, and arrows - unsure of the consequences, but not willing to endure another day.

He taught, fought, and lived for a cause he believed worth dying for - the right for people to be treated fairly without regard for the color of their skin and instead regarded for the content of their character.

It makes the news when a convenience store employee tries to protect the money in the safe or in the till - even though management and ownership advise them to just let it go.  Most wonder what they were thinking.

You might use, but certainly have heard the phrase, "it's not a hill worth dying on," usually means some minor issue at home or around the office.  Use the phrase enough and it quickly seems like there is no hill worth dying on.

Instead of a quick answer to the question, what are willing to die for?  Consider it a bit today.

And, I invite you to join me in thinking about a person who found a hill to die on, and made the trip willingly to die for you and me.  We can be thankful that Jesus lived for us, and then died for us on Calvary's hill.  (Matthew 27, John 3:16).

It makes me stop and think it is easier to find reasons we would sacrifice our lives, because someone else much greater found a greater reason to die.