Love and Sacrifice

Almost at the summit we now move to the Left Side trail and consider Love and its companion, Sacrifice.  In the real world of relationships, it is impossible to love people with unattractive flaws or troublesome needs without in some sense sharing in or virtually changing places with them.

All real, life-changing love involves some form of an emotional exchange. It requires very little to love a person who is happy healthy, and resilient.  However, you cannot listen to and love emotionally wounded people and stay emotionally unharmed.  It may be that they feel stronger and affirmed as you interact, but that won’t happen without you being psychologically or spiritually drained. It’s them or you. To nourish them emotionally you must be willing to be spent emotionally.

Two illustrations. Imagine you are contacted by a man you know is innocent but who is being ruthlessly hunted down by the government. He reaches out to you for help. If you don’t help, he will be killed, but if you give him aid, you place yourself in mortal danger.  He gains safety and security but only because you are willing to enter into his insecurity and vulnerability.

Now consider parenting. Children come into the world in a state of complete dependence. They cannot become self-sufficient and independent unless their parents give up much of their own independence and freedom.

We’ve traversed the Central Corridor: Conduct and Consequences,

We hiked the Right Front trail: contrasting Revenge and Forgiveness,

Lastly we took the Left Side trail: Love and Sacrifice. 

We now arrive at the summit.