Real Life by Peggi Tustan

Welcome to Real Life . I'm thinking about sacrifice. A fitting topic for Memorial Day Weekend. People who put themselves on the line and sacrifice their own safety for the greater good and for others, and anyone in any profession whose concern is the welfare for other people instead of the individual, are inspiring and important. Chris Hemsworth  We’re a contradiction. In a culture averse to violence, it saturates our entertainment, and erupts all around us. Mass shootings are on the increase. Heroes emerge. Riley, a student at the North Carolina college. [1] Lori, a woman in the California synagogue. [2] Two ordinary individuals place themselves in harm’s way so others may live. We marvel at their bravery. In the same circumstances, would I be brave, selfless, willing to shed my blood? “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John the Baptist exclaims at first sight of Jesus. The crowd who overhears him understands the metaphor. For every year, ...

Welcome to Real Life . God’s grace is so rich and abundant and free. I live it, walk it, breath it. It envelopes me like a warm blanket. Because it's so familiar, I forget that it came at an enormous cost. On a day I least expected, God brought this lesson home.  I was traveling Slovakia with my parents one summer, visiting relatives and sightseeing. My cousin Ľudka planned a day trip to  Levoča  for us. It is an ancient, walled city that has two churches of special interest: the hilltop Basilica of the Visitation and St. Jacob’s Cathedral which houses Master Paul's carvings from the 1500’s. Walking up to the Basilica, we were met with the sweet melody of chanted prayers. Ľudka led the way to a pew inside the crowded sanctuary. Taking in the beauty of the church, my eyes rested on a statue of Jesus in agony on the cross. Tears streamed down his face. Blood poured from his side. It was a beautiful, yet horrible image. As I gazed at Jesus' face, two words from the...