The concept of dying for something we consider very important is not new. One of the oldest examples I can think of is Jesus Christ choosing to suffer and die on the cross to save humans from eternal fire and damnation. In fact this very idea is as alive today as it was then.

In today’s Sunday Times I read an article about a suicide bomber sacrificing his life where he killed not only himself and several others. He no doubt was so committed to his cause and his country that he was prepared to carry out this extreme act of patriotism. It would be difficult, even impossible for us to fully understand his actions as our cultural divide is enormous especially as Middle Eastern politics and religion are inseparably linked. No matter how much I loved my country, I’m not sure I would go that far.

What would I be prepared to sacrifice my life for? That is a really difficult question and virtually impossible to answer with any sense of real conviction. In a small opinion survey I found while surfing the net I was surprised to discover that out of 80 people questioned somewhere in America, as many as 54% believed that dying was the best way to demonstrate someone’s dedication to a cause. (I have no doubt that percentage would drop dramatically if they were actually put to the test!) In this case ‘talk is cheap and action speaks louder than words’!

Something much closer to my heart and to which most of us can identify is our love and devotion to those we love. I know that if the ’cause’ in question turned out to be a member of my family or someone I was particularly close to, only then would I seriously consider sacrificing my life if I was certain it would make a difference. Even then, when faced with this situation, would my natural fear of dying and instinct for self preservation be stronger than my love? I’d like to think I could and would be prepared to make that ultimate sacrifice.

I do believe in the power of love and that it can and does make many of us do the craziest things. Stories of lives sacrificed in the name of love are the stuff of which legends are made and the old adage of ‘love conquers all’ did not arise from nowhere and for no reason. I believe I would, if really put to the test, put all thought of my personal safety aside in the interests of preserving those I love.