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Show - . J I rr1 -I'f'iiWniiViiftTl- r rn f Ming. . d$L&iyu&JJ& Dr. J. Richard Palmer, President Presi-dent Westminster College, writes Easter message. 'Sacrifice' Holds Easter Meaning By Dr. J. Richard Palmer The Lenten-Easter Season, both in the original historical setting and in our contemporary remembrance, is best characterized character-ized by one word SACRIFICE. The offering of a sacrifice has been and is an important function func-tion in most of the known religions re-ligions of mankind. While the sacrificial act, if sincerely motivated, mo-tivated, can be a means of deep inner satisfaction, it can through misinterpretation become an empty abomination. Word Itself The word sacrifice itself has no real meaning apart from the purpose behind it. A Hebrew Psalm writer condemns the selfishly self-ishly motivated sacrificial act thusly: "Thou desirest not sacrifice sac-rifice else I would give it, Thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." The sacrifice of Jesus has no meaning if confined simply to a ritualistic mockery of blood letting. let-ting. Nor does our symbolic rehearsal re-hearsal of this same Lenten theme of sacrifice have any meaning mean-ing for us except every act be prompted by a holy and unselfish unself-ish purpose. Knowing that sacrificial sac-rificial living has been the characteristic char-acteristic of all the great leaders of mankind throughout history, let us examine the word sacrifice and ask ourselves:' 'How can sacrifice becomes meaningful to us? Part of Life First, we must accept the fact thatsacrifice is a necessary part of a productive, happy life. The rifice is an unhappy life, for one Iile which is unfamiliar with sac-of sac-of the basic ingredients is left out. It is like baking a cake and leaving out the baking powder. Sacrifice is written into the very law of the universe. The seed must burst and push its way upward against many obstacles, ob-stacles, if the tree within it is to , (Continued on Page 2) Easter Is 'Sacrifice' (Continued from Page 1) find realization. Our athletic champions sacrifice many personal per-sonal pleasures, and undergo years of rigorous self-discipline, in order to achieve greatness. No institution is created to bless our society except sacrifices are made to bring them into being. It is by sacrifice that our schools hospitals, and churches are built and maintained. The very first step then, toward giving meaning and value of our sacrifices, is to accept them as a necessary and fruitful Dart of life. Not only is sacrificial living necessary to the good life, it must be love impelled if it is to have meaning. St. Paul, in his First Letter to the Corinthians, was concerned about the senselessness sense-lessness of sacrifice when it is made only out of a .desire for reward. Consider how cruel is the resentful re-sentful sacrifice; the gift of a son to an aged father because of the fathers desperate need, yet given in resentment by the son. The loveless .sacrifice is cruelest cruelty; it destroys both the gift and the giver. This is often seen as a person accepts some responsibility in a charitable chari-table organization, and then proceeds pro-ceeds to destroy the morale of the entire working group, as well as the effectiveness of the whole institution, by complaining complain-ing bitterly about the personal sacrifices required. But the man who catches the vision Jesus had, that of a world united through love as though it were indeed God's own Kingdom King-dom here on earth, can make sacrifices joyously, humbly and continually. He cannot keep that vision of the Master and do otherwise, for that vision comes only to the man who has ridded his being of selfishness, fear, and hate; replacing them with a consuming con-suming love for God and His children. This Love of God is that which can give only sacrifice, sacri-fice, but all of life, meaning and power. |