11 Jan “Legacy”

“Heroes get remembered, but legends never die,” The ghost of Babe Ruth in the 1993 movie “ The Sandlot.”

It’s true that many sports heroes seem to live on forever: Ruth, Lombardi, DiMaggio, to name just a few.  It’s also true that a lot of people in public life fixate on their “legacy.” Simply put, they are very concerned about how people will remember them, and how many people will remember them and for how long they will be remembered. I once read that there are two extremes when it comes to pastors and legacy. On the one extreme is the pastor who wants to be remembered for the good work he or she did. On the other extreme are pastors who wonder how big the building will be that bears their name.

As Christ-followers, we should all desire the same legacy: that people remember how well we loved. Why? Because it’s what we should remember about Jesus: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NIV)

Where the blood of Jesus ran down the cross is where the love of God poured out to us. When we remember Christ’s sacrifice for us, we are remembering the unconditional love of God. It’s the same love the world should see running through us. I love how Bob Goff puts it:

“We’ll be remembered for our love. What I’ve learned following Jesus is we only really find our identities by engaging the people we’ve been avoiding. Jesus wrapped up this concept in three simple and seemingly impossible ideas for us to follow: love Him, love your neighbor, and love your enemies.”

― Bob Goff, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People

Legacy love means loving people we’d rather not love; heck, people we’d rather not be around. You see, with legacy love, there are no people we’d rather not be around. It’s a tall order, to be sure. It can only be filled when you and I are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Having your name on a building, a bridge, a hospital, a church hall or a concert venue is nice, but buildings crumble and fall.

The work we do in God’s name is important, feeding others, being with others, comforting others. What’s critical is that it is Jesus’ love in our hearts that’s powering those deeds. Even though we don’t do it to be remembered, when our actions come from the heart, it is our love that people will remember.

We could add one more sports figure to the list of “legends that never die.” Roberto Clemente is certainly remembered as one of the greatest baseball players who ever lived. Yet, it’s also possible that he’s best remembered for how he died at age 38: in a plane crash while flying relief supplies to earthquake-stricken Nicaragua in 1972.

Don’t live to be remembered. Live to love as Jesus did, and you will be blessed with a God-powered legacy. People will remember how you loved. With the new year underway, what a great time to make loving others the way Jesus did your priority.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. I Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)

Pastor Jerry Bader