Answering the Call, The 9/11 Commemorative Edition

Excerpt from the upcoming commemorative edition:

We were the first paramedic unit from Brooklyn to arrive. And as we pulled up, you know, the streets were littered with bodies already, and I'm just like, what's going on here? Stuff was raining down out of the building, people were screaming, it was just chaos. And there were other ambulances on the scene, and no one seemed to know what to do, so I just said to everyone, "Put on your jackets, put on your helmets, and just start taking care of people." And it was a mess. Some people were cut to ribbons. Others were burned. It was just unbelievable. And there were things falling out of the building that were hitting us...and it wasn't until later that I realized that they were, well, charred pieces of people."  (NYC Paramedic)

Answering the Call, Chapter 1

A Good Drunk

“If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?” Matthew 5:46

Yeah I’m a Christian, but I had me a good drunk the other night.

No, really. I found him lying in the middle of the street, bump on his head and a bottle of booze by his side. He was about fifty something, dressed in simple clothes and stinking like a sack of dirty laundry. With slurred speech and the sweet, slushy scent of cheap alcohol lingering on his breath, he was about as common as can get. A real good drunk.

I chuckled. I’m a paramedic. I’ve seen it all before. It should have been a simple call—pick him up, throw him on the stretcher, and give him a ride to the ER for observation, oh, and by the way, pray for him—but it wasn’t that easy. He became belligerent. Then he wanted to fight me. Then he went and opened his mouth. I won’t tell you what he said. Christians don’t use words like that. Or do we?

I know I should have held my tongue but before I could think I flung the words right back at him. After all, he deserved it. I was only trying to help him. Right?

Perhaps, but I was wrong. Dead wrong.

You know I’ve been a Christian for over thirty years, and you’d think by now I’d know better, but for me it’s not that simple. I seem to make one mistake after another, failing the Lord in so many areas of my life that recently a thought has been heavy on my mind:

What does it really mean to be a Christian?

Does it mean never missing church? Attending the right Bible studies? Smiling at other people and never uttering a foul word? I believe Jesus answered my question when He said, “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.” Loving those who do not love you is the mark of a true Christian.

“But, Lord?” I ask. “How can I love that guy?”

If I close my eyes, I can picture Jesus hanging on the cross. If I use my imagination, I can see myself kneeling at His bloody feet. But if I put aside my pride, my arrogance, and my selfish ambitions, I can imagine that man kneeling by my side—dirty clothes, stinking breath and all—and suddenly I realize this simple truth: We’re both sinners. Christ died for both of us.

Now imagine yourself kneeling at the cross. That gnarly piece of upright timber drips red with your savior’s blood. And beside you kneels another person…that co-worker or supervisor or arrogant family member you so detest. Look at them. Do you see them? Christ died for that person, just as He died for you. So keep His commandment. Love them. It’s what He called you to do.

I failed my test last Saturday night, but Jesus used that failure to teach me a valuable lesson. He showed me what it really means to be a Christian…and He used a good drunk to do it.

APPLICATION

Jesus Christ suffered a violent and bloody death so that you might live forever, and all He really asks is that you love others in return. But some people are hard to love, and you can never predict when they will cross your path. But you can be ready for them. Take a few moments now to better prepare yourself. Start by describing a personal encounter with an offensive or unlovable person.

How did that person make you feel?

Did you respond appropriately, or in looking back do you regret your actions?

Now read Matthew 5:43-48. What does Christ say about dealing with those who offend you?

What advice are you given in 1 Peter 3:9?

How might you prepare yourself for a similar encounter with that person or another hard-to-love individual?

PRAYER

“Lord, I have rejected you and hurled insults at you, and still you love me. Help me to treat others the same way you treat me, with forgiveness, with compassion, and with unconditional Christ-like love.”