I didn’t grow up during the Great Wars of the last century when so many of our young people were called upon to die for our country, and I have never fought in a modern war either. I’m a church leader and therefore may not be the most qualified person to write about what the deaths of so many soldiers mean for us as Canadians and why we should remember. I do believe, however, that their deaths have meaning and symbolize something important for each one of us.
In the movie Saving Private Ryan, the story is told of a group of men who are given orders to rescue a single soldier from behind enemy lines in Normandy during the Second World War. We are told that his three brothers have all recently been killed in this war, leaving him as the only child of a single mother. When the US Army’s Chief of Staff hears about the horrible situation, he gives orders to protect this woman’s precious remaining son, Private James Ryan, and he sends out a team of soldiers to bring him back alive.
The rescue mission is extremely dangerous and one by one it claims the lives of the soldiers trying to rescue Ryan. At one point their captain says in frustration, “This Ryan better be worth it. He’d better go home, cure some disease or invent a longer-lasting light bulb.” Yet, in spite of the danger, the orders to rescue Ryan are obeyed.
In the final battle scene as the captain is dying, he whispers his last words to a speechless Private Ryan: “James, he says, “earn this. Earn it!”
Fifty years pass and, in the closing scene of the movie, we see an elderly James Ryan returning to Normandy with his wife and family. He kneels beside the grave of the captain who saved his life and, as tears fill his eyes, says, “My family is here today. Every day I think about what you said to me that day on the bridge. I’ve tried to live my life the best I could. I hope that was enough. I hope that at least in your eyes I’ve earned what all of you have done for me.” He then turns to his wife and says, “Tell me I’ve led a good life. Tell me I’m a good man.”
In a way, these last words of the captain paralyzed Private Ryan. Could he ever live up to the death of those young men? Could any of us earn their sacrifice?
I don’t know whether any of us deserve the gift that was given to us by the millions of soldiers who gave up their lives, and continue to give up their lives, for our safety. And, while we may never be able to earn such a gift, we can accept it and live our lives in a way that mirrors the grace that has been given to us by so many soldiers. They died so that we could live free.
In many ways, I believe the sacrifices of these soldiers are a lot like the sacrifice of Christ. However, as he dies to rescue us from the sin and evil in this world and in each one of us, he doesn’t say “earn it.” He says three very staggering words instead, “It is finished” (see John 19:30). These are words of completion, much like a couple would say when they have finally paid off their mortgage. Or words a builder might speak when he lays the final brick on a house he has built. It is finished.
As Christ dies to rescue us from the sin of this world, he doesn’t say, “Earn it, Bram. Earn it, John. Earn it, Michelle.” No, instead he says something much more conclusive, “It is finished.” Our sin─past, present and future─is forgiven. It is finished. We can’t earn it, we can’t pay for it, and we’ve done nothing to deserve it. But Christ died and now we can live in a new and wonderful way. This is God’s grace and it’s available for all of us today, but we must accept it for ourselves if it’s to have any meaning.
We don’t have the luxury of asking our fallen soldiers why they died for us and what they expected us to do with the sacrifices they made. I suspect, however, that if we could ask, they would respond much like God has responded in Christ. They wouldn’t tell us to earn their sacrifice; that’s impossible. Nor would they tell us to live our lives feeling guilty and unworthy for what they have done. Instead, these soldiers would tell us to accept their sacrifice for what it is─a gift─and they would ask us to make it count by living our lives sacrificially and to the fullest.
They have made their sacrifice for us, whether we deserve it or not. It’s up to us to receive their gift and accept the many freedoms we have in this great country of ours. Let’s make their sacrifice count for something in our own lives. It is finished.