Pastor William L. Stidger tells the story of a man in his congregation who served in the Navy during World War II. One night, this man was running his transport across the Atlantic, when he noticed the white trail of a torpedo coming toward him. His ship was manned by hundreds of soldiers; the potential loss of life would have been devastating.
Nearby, another smaller ship had also seen the torpedo coming. The captain of this smaller vessel maneuvered his ship between the transport and the torpedo. The explosion destroyed his ship; all those aboard died.
The man who told this story ended it by saying, “Dr. Stidger, the skipper of that other ship was my best friend.” Slowly, he remarked, “You know, there is a verse in the Bible which has special meaning for me now. It is this: ‘Greater love has no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’” [John 15:13]
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Wayne H. Keller, Emphasis , Nov./Dec., 1998, pp. 41-42.
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[Original illustration at this number was moved to HolwickID #4615]