While making his landmark documentary about World War
II, filmmaker Ken Burns and his colleagues watched thousands of hours of
military footage. Scenes of the devastating Battle of Peleliu often invaded
their dreams at night. Burns told Sacramento
Bee reporter Rick Kushman,
“You’re listening to the ghosts and echoes from an almost inexpressible past.
If you do that, you put yourself into the emotional maelstrom.”
There’s a price to becoming involved in the struggles
of others, whether artistically or spiritually. Paul experienced this in his
work of sharing the gospel: “Apart from such external things, there is the
daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my
being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?” (2 Cor. 11:28-29
NASB).
Oswald Chambers said we enter this spiritual struggle
as we “deliberately identify ourselves with God’s interests in other people”
and “find to our amazement that we have power to keep wonderfully poised in the
center of it all.”
Paul realized that God’s strength is made perfect in
our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). Jesus paid the greatest price to be involved in our
world, and He strengthens us as we share His love with others.
If we obey God’s calling, He will provide the needed strength. (RBC)
