I heard someone talking about their dear friend and said the common phrase, “I would take a bullet for them”. 

For as long as I can remember, I would much rather die for someone than to be tortured for them. I am slightly excited to die in a curious/non-morbid way, I can at least say that I have a desire to eventually die, I am sure my desired timing will be way off from when it will really happen, regardless, I do have some sort of “I wonder what really happens when I die” thought, sort of a mysterious attraction. 

I can honestly tell you I have no sort of curiosity or attraction to being tortured, I am sure that if I ever get tortured I won’t be thinking “so this is what it is really like to be tortured”. 

I assure you that this blog isn’t supposed to be a morbid/go-get-your-eyeliner type of blog.

Maybe I can narrow it down a bit more and be really honest and say that in a small chance to serve a friend that I would die for, I fail. I outwardly do not jump on the opportunity to offer my seat, do the dishes or even when I am at a restaurant with a friend that can’t afford a meal, I casually eat in front of them, even though I have been the person on the other end of that situation.

I moved to Atlanta and got to tag along to a show with the band I have worked with for several years, after the show when we were all getting ready to leave I noticed my tired friend had to drive the box truck back to Atlanta, even though this very friend is letting me stay at his house for free for a month, I thought that I should at least keep him company, to keep him awake. I didn’t, I just went on the bus and went to sleep. But I can honestly say I would still take a bullet for him though.*

You can’t be trusted with the big things unless you are faithful with the small things. I agree with this statement a whole lot, but at the same time I think that a quick 10 second death-by-bullet is easier and more heroic then riding in a truck with someone for a few hours when you are tired. I think there is more glamour in the bullet than the box truck.

So I start to think of the verse, “Greater love has no one but this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” [John 15:13]. If we start to really believe the Bible that whatever heaven is, it’s magnificent. I am not sure how literal the streets of gold and other associations with heaven. But regardless Jesus talks pretty highly of Heaven. But I do know that the God that is Love, the God that created everything I enjoy, all that is good comes from Him. I just think of how great it feels to love and be loved, and then thinking about heaven being the presence of love itself. Either way, I can imagine that in comparison this world is hard to bare. The Bible says that Jesus left that for this, for us. 

I think about this being the ultimate culture shock.

It’s like living in a nice place being able to do whatever you want then having to visit someone in the hospital. You only get one chair, the only entertainment is two channels on the TV, watching your friend just laying there, you can’t take off your shoes, listen to music or do much of anything. After a while anyone grows weary of the hospital, even if they are with their best friend.

I imagine Jesus leaving everything, laying down his life for us. Right now I am not talking about his death I am talking about leaving all His privileges for us.

I know from experience the need for Jesus, I have yet to learn a lot of details of how everything works. But I do know the Bible makes a point to say we have a tremendous need for Jesus coming to earth and dying, I am not sure why He couldn’t do any of this from heaven, but regardless. Jesus saw a need and fulfilled it, the way He could.

When Jesus was born, Herod found out and started staying all the babies 3 years old and younger in hopes he would murder Jesus. If Jesus was only meant to come to this earth and die for our sins, why couldn’t he just have been killed then? I think it’s because there is way more to Jesus’ life than just His death, the fact that He came down and taught us how to live and love, his life was a tremendous sacrifice even before he died on the cross. I think too often when we think of the sacrifice Jesus made, we only think of his death and not his life.

Not to sound cheesy or weird, but after writing about real friendship and learning about my own, I don’t really feel fit to even call myself a friend in comparison to Jesus’ friendship.

-Isaac

*needless to say, a week later I had to drive the box truck back and forth and I would have loved some company.