No Story Worth Your Life?

Thanks to the Internet, even while I was in the US of A, I got to follow closely the news on the kidnapping of ABS-CBN news anchor Ces Drilon and her two cameramen by the dreaded Abu Sayaff. They went to the Sulu forest supposedly to interview Abu Sayyaf commander Radulan Sahiron. It turned out to be a ruse. One cameraman got the scare of his life when the bandits bound him and made him kneel as a prelude to beheading him. Then, the cell phone rang at that very moment with a call from the negotiators. True to their training, the cameramen secretly took footages of their ordeal, which the network aired in a recent TV documentary. After 9 days, allegedly upon payment of ransom, the bandits released them.

(Personally, it brought back memories of my work experiences with that network about a decade ago. I again realized how God faithfully kept me when we visited with Kabayan Noli De Castro the camps of the New People’s Army to interview its spokesperson, Ka Roger, and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to interview its leader at that time, Hashim Salamat. Praise God that kidnapping us did not enter their minds!)

Though thankful for the release, ABS-CBN still suspended Ces Drilon for three months. It appears her immediate superiors ordered her not to proceed with the dangerous interview but she disobeyed and pushed through with it. On hindsight, Ces Drilon said, “No story is worth losing your life for.”

There is a story worth our lives. In fact, we are to invest in that story not just our time, talents and treasure but even our totality. That story is His story, the Good News of the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul himself attested to that: “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” (Acts 20:24, ESV) It promises eternal life to those who would put their faith in the Lord as Savior. That’s why we should not just pursue this story but share it with everyone.

Brethren, the Gospel is worth dying for!

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