One of my favorite movie series’ of all time is Pirates of the Caribbean. I watch the original trilogy at least once a year, all of which are currently available on the Disney+ app. The reasons I love these movies are legion, but not the least is the relevant themes that persist throughout the course of the story. At first blush, the movies appear to be about an absent-minded captain seeking revenge and restoration. I would argue, however, the series is about much more. It is about the need to stand firm for what one believes in, even in the face of insurmountable odds. It is about the enduring nature of love. And, it is about the power of love to change us and the world in which we live.
While there are many quotable moments throughout the three movies, one in particular stands above all others as somewhat of a thesis statement for the whole series. Standing face to face with an unconquerable force and certain defeat, one of the main characters says, “NO CAUSE IS LOST PROVIDED THERE IS BUT ONE FOOL TO FIGHT FOR IT.” Over the course of the last few weeks, this quote has continued to challenge me and provide me with encouragement to press on in the battles before us. The truth is, it isn’t really a cause for which we fight, but people.
If you’re not careful, it’s all too easy to rationalize the problems as consequences of poor choices and to forget to see the person underneath it all.
In my role as lead pastor of First Baptist Church, I am confronted on an almost daily basis with the hurt and hopelessness that besieges so many in our community. At times, it is easy to become jaded by the continuous flow of humanity that passes before me. It begins to feel like a static loop repeating the same story on a different day. If you’re not careful, it’s all too easy to rationalize the problems as consequences of poor choices and to forget to see the person underneath it all.
I recently visited a young woman at the Jackson County Jail who is struggling with addiction. We spoke for a few minutes about how she was doing and what the path forward looked like for her and then I asked her if I could pray for her. I prayed with my eyes open, and as I prayed for her I watched as tears flowed down her cheeks. They were tears that mirrored those I saw on the cheeks of her mother but a few days earlier. In that moment, the exhaustion and apathy of continued exposure burned away with a fresh fire of indignation. What I saw before me was not an addict, an offender, or a problem, but a beautiful creation of God almighty full of potential and promise.
There was no length to which Christ wouldn’t go to save our souls, so there is no length to which we shouldn’t go to seek to restore their lives.
It’s so tempting for us to point to various problems in the lives of others and write them off as lost causes. As followers of Jesus, however, we aren’t afforded that option. There was no length to which Christ wouldn’t go to save our souls, so there is no length to which we shouldn’t go to seek to restore their lives. Author Andrew Root calls this “place-sharing.” He writes, “One must stand in the place of the other, acting fully on his or her behalf, like a noble leader for her citizens, a thoughtful teacher for his students, or a loving father for his children. Place-sharing happens when one places himself or herself fully in the reality of the other, refusing to turn away even from its horror.” Through the incarnation of Jesus Christ, He shared our place and fought our fight, ultimately securing our victory. We have no right to do any less.
As long as a person draws breath, they have potential and promise. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners–of whom I am the worst.” We should fight for those struggling with addiction, abuse, abandonment, and all manners of social ills. We mustn’t be intimidated or detoured by their circumstances or struggles. Compassion is risky business, but it’s business we should be all about. “No cause is lost provided there is but one fool to fight for it.” May we all resolve to stand as fools for what stands to be gained or lost is not a cause, but our sons and daughters, our brothers and sisters, our friends and our family; and that’s worth fighting for.
