This is my Drawing.
One of my classmates is ex-Air Force, and was talking about a tattoo on his arm. It came up in conversation that it's a Latin translation of his brother's life motto. He explained that he got the tattoo because his brother died before he could get it.
"That's why I quit the military. Not because he died, but because he made me realize that life is supposed to be lived."
It's amazing how deeply meaningful a couple sentences can be. It really hit home when I realized how directly it applies to a concept I've had brewing for the past few weeks.
People often quantify their devotion to something or someone by what they're willing to do for that person or thing. It's the idea that drives the age-old Klondike marketing campaign: "What would you do for a Klondike bar?" I find that there are (at least) three stages of devotion on this scale.
Things worth FIGHTING for.
Other than things not worth fighting for, this is the lowest form of commitment in my opinion. If you won't fight for something, it can't be worth much to you. Being that it's the lowest, it also covers the largest variety of items. It could range from your material possessions to your pride to someone you love. I think, however, that this also depends on maturity. I find that the older I get, the less willing I am to fight people. I think that goes hand-in-hand with the fact that I'm learning the truth behind the saying "a gentle answer turns away wrath." Still, no matter how mature I may become, there are some things I will always fight for.
Things worth DYING for.
I know that seems like a jump, but it's really just an exaggerated form of the last one. There are often things that we would like to be able to say we'd die for, but the truth can only come out when the opportunity presents itself. Being that most people will live their entire lives without ever facing the challenge of dying for something they love, this question all too often remains in the realm of the hypothetical. Nevertheless, we all have things that are important enough to us that I think we would genuinely give our lives for them. This category encompasses a much smaller group of items than the last, being that there are plenty of things that I would fight for, but would gladly forfeit were my life on the line. Most people stop there - if you would die for something, it must be one of the most valuable things in your life. Not necessarily true.
Things worth LIVING for.
If you think about it, this is the hardest thing to do. Fighting for an ideal is a win/win situation because even if you lose the fight, you've still got that underdog integrity and the knowledge that you have the balls to stand up for what you love. Dying for something isn't necessarily easy per se, but it is a one-time deal. Once you die, that's it - there's nothing more you can do; it's over. But try spending 60 years protecting and treasuring and fighting for something. It goes back to what my ex-military friend said. How can you live for something if you're dead?
I love my wife. Sure, the first thought in my head when someone disrespects her is to Hulk smash them in the face. Sure, I would take a bullet for my wife (although I can't imagine anyone wanting to shoot her). But getting up early every morning to make her breakfast and pack her lunch, taking care of house chores to give her time to rest, working to provide for her; I plan on doing these things (or at least things like it) for the rest of her life. Not to make light of martyrdom, but when you consider the weight of spending one's entire life devoted to something, death starts to look like the easy way out. When John says that Christ laid down his life for us, this means that he could have had a life of his own, but he gave that up to live for us instead. So even if I never die for my wife, I would like to think that I will lay down my life for her.
So there you have it. Again, this is a work in progress - there are probably more intermediary steps that I haven't yet realized. But it's been my experience that there are some things I'd fight for that I wouldn't die for. And there are things I'd die for, but would have a hard time living for. And I also find that the things I live for, I would also gladly die for, and have often fought for.
I used to love the idea of being martyred. I've always accepted that death is inevitable, so I've always wanted my death to be the sacrificial - where I stood up for a person or ideal that I loved dearly. Preferably God. But my uncle told me that if I wanted to give my life for God, I should give him my entire life; don't cut it short. That advice stuck.
A little exercise: list the things that are important and valuable to you, and categorize them in this fashion. You'll be surprised to find what things are more important to you than others.
This is all for now.
-R.
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