Take a bullet?

“I would have taken a bullet for you.”This line was from an old movie—Dave--that I watched briefly last night.  It is a pledge of real love.  Surely it has resonated through many movies and many lives—spoken or lived out by law enforcement officers, body guards, parents,  friends, lovers.It is demonstrated by every member of the armed forces as they enter harm’s way to protect and defend.  Probably each of us knows someone who made that sacrifice, who has taken a bullet for you/me/all of us, in the line of duty.And of course, we know the one who made the ultimate offering:  “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us.”  (1 John 3:16, NLT)  In Hebrews we understand that His great love for us—and the joy of being reconciled with us—made Him willing to endure the agony of the cross (Hebrews 12:2).I am daily and eternally grateful that He laid down His life for me.But there is more.  The apostle John continues in 1 John 3:16-17:  “So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.  If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?”Then John follows that penetrating question with this bullet-taking admonition:  “Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.”For whom would you take a bullet?  What might that sacrificial love look like in your life today?