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Themes Unearned Love A GIFT TO AN ENEMY More than one hundred years ago, the Civil War took place between the people that lived in the northern part of the United States and those that lived in the southern part. Like all the other wars, people on both sides strongly believed their side was right and the other side was wrong. Many people suffered or died because they were loyal to their side. In one of the worst battles of the war, both sides fought for days without either one winning. Just when it seemed like the north was about to win the south would struggle back. For days and days, the battle kept going. Many soldiers got homesick and they all grew more tired with each near win and near loss. Many men died during the battle. Many were wounded badly but were not able to have their wounds taken care of. People who wanted to help the wounded could not or they would have been shot too. Several days into the battle, one southern soldier could no longer bear the sound of the cries for water that came from the wounded men. The problem was that if he went to take them water, he would become an easy target for his enemies. He thought and thought and decided that he would risk his life to take them water. Imagine how he must have felt as he gathered up containers of water to take to his fellow soldiers. He knew it would be the last time he ever saw the campsite where he lived, and that his life would soon be over. When he had all the supplies he could carry, he climbed over the wall that protected his camp from the enemy. When the enemy saw him, they shot at him. As he tried to avoid the shots, he went from wounded soldier to wounded soldier to give them a drink of water. One man begged for a sip, and when the soldier looked, he saw that it was an enemy soldier! How could he give water to a person he was at war with? Without even hesitating, he bent down and gave the man a drink. At that moment, he went from the noble deed of helping friends to the amazing selflessness of helping an enemy. By this time, enemy soldiers were close enough to see what the southern soldier was doing. They were close enough to shoot him and end his life, but what they saw made them stop. The soldier's love to his enemy was so moving that the shooting stopped immediately. Like the "mighty men" of our Bible story, this soldier showed amazing devotion by risking everything to bring a drink to men that he loved. Even more amazing was the kindness he showed to his enemy. In this way, his actions are like the Lord Jesus. Men treated the Lord Jesus like He wasn't even a human being; they spat on Him and hit Him and made fun of Him. Despite it all, He gave His life for us. That is truly the highest devotion and deepest love ever shown. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet SINNERS, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
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Peter Orasuk
