Years ago, Bill Hybels shared how he had seen a newscast about a big Vietnam veterans parade in Chicago. Part of the commemoration was a mobile version of the Vietnam Wall. Like the original, it bore the names of all the soldiers who had died in Vietnam. Hybels said one newscaster asked a vet why he had come all the way to Chicago to visit this memorial and to participate in the parade. The soldier looked straight into the face of the reporter and with tears flowing down his face said, "Because of this man right here." As the soldier talked, he was pointing to the name of a friend that was etched in the wall. He traced the letters of his friend's name in the wall. The soldier continued to answer the reporter by saying, "This man right here gave his life for me. He gave his life for me." As the news clip ended, the sobbing soldier let the tears flow as he stood there tracing the name of his friend with his finger.

It was hard for that man to get his heart and mind around the sacrifice of his friend, so he kept retracing the story. We have that problem, too. There is, of course, someone who gave his life for me. I don't want to grow dull to Jesus' death for me, but I do.