Scripture: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10
Something to think about: Modern day search and rescue operations, such as those mounted by Coast Guard, Mountain Rescue, or other hazardous terrain rescue teams, are organized to aid people who are in distress or imminent danger. In all cases, of course, the rescuers have to be committed both to search effectively and then to affect a rescue.
It is a fundamental aspect of Christian belief that God did not just announce a rescue option for those who might wish to respond, but that the Son of God came to actively seek out those needing help (all of us!). The life and death of Christ was the ultimate search and rescue operation as it sought every human being who ever lived or will yet live, and also provided the possibility of rescue from the danger of eternal death.
But the search and rescue story does not end there. Jesus specifically commissioned his disciples to continue his work and we, as Christians, must remember that we are also in the search and rescue business by virtue of our calling. People often ask themselves and others “What are you looking for in life?” But for the Christian the question is not “what,” but whom. We are called to follow in the steps of the One who came to seek and save, and we must all ask ourselves occasionally: “How much prayer, effort, support and involvement are we putting into search and rescue work?”
