Godblog

No greater love

Today is Mike’s birthday. He shares it with Jason Dunham. Who’s Jason Dunham, you ask?

Jason Dunham grew up in Scio, New York, a small town in the western part of the state. His dad is a factory worker, and his mom is a teacher. He has three younger siblings. He joined the Marines right out of high school, and his natural leadership ability found him, as a corporal, in command of a squad while in Iraq.

On April 14, 2004, his unit was involved in combat near the Iraqi-Syrian border, and an insurgent dropped a live grenade. Jason Dunham covered the grenade with his own helmet, shielding two of his fellow Marines from the blast.

Jason Dunham lingered in a coma for eight days before he died.

Today, at the opening of the Marine Corps museum in Quantico, Virginia, President Bush announced that Jason Dunham is being awarded the Medal of Honor, our nation’s highest military honor.

Jason Dunham would have been 25 today.

Jesus tells us in John 15, verse 13, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” We see that love in Jason Dunham.

We also see it in the one who spoke those words. For Jesus wants to call all of us his friends. For us, all fallen sinners, to be able to be friends of God, we have to approach him perfect and holy, something we are unable to do on our own. We can’t earn it, we can’t perfect ourselves through our own thoughts or deeds. None of our sacrifices are good enough to wipe away the stain of even a single sin.

But because he wants all to be reconciled to himself, God sent his Son to stand in our place, to accept the judgment we all deserve. Jesus died on the cross to pay our debt for us; that’s the kind of friend he is. If you don’t know him as your friend, I encourage you to seek him out, for he is the best friend you could ever have. He died for you to prove it.

Service to others is a high calling, as evidenced by Jesus himself, who said he came to serve, not to be served. Jason Dunham answered the call to service, and paid for it with his life, doing so willingly, so that his brother Marines might live. We often say he “paid the ultimate price”, but I believe that honor rightly goes to Jesus Christ, who died in the place of everyone, including Jason Dunham and the terrorist who dropped the grenade.

Today, take a moment to remember Corporal Jason Dunham, United States Marine Corps, and the thousands like him who over the years have given their lives in service to our country. Please thank a veteran for his or her service (Thanks, Dad!). Their selfless acts should not go unnoticed by those of us whom they have served. I pray the selfless act of Jesus will not go unnoticed, either.

[Information on Corporal Dunham courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.]