A great discussion occurred at the ballpark yesterday. \u00a0In one of those slow moments, hoping to teach our children well, one young person asked one huge question…<\/p>\n
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\u201cWhat does it mean to <\/em>sacrifice<\/em><\/strong>?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ah, terrific question! \u00a0She has heard the word often in today\u2019s culture… \u00a0\u00a0\u201cshared sacrifice\u201d…\u00a0 \u201ca sacrificial lamb\u201d…\u00a0 \u201csacrifice bunt\u201d…\u00a0 \u201csacrifice fly\u201d…\u00a0 \u201chard choices and shared sacrifice\u201d… \u201call must sacrifice.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n And then one seemingly discerning parent chirped in, \u201cI don\u2019t think many today have any comprehension of what it means to sacrifice.\u201d \u00a0<\/em>Touch\u00e9.\u00a0 Hearing the word and knowing what it means are two totally different things.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Man cannot sacrifice that which costs him nothing.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sacrifice…\u00a0 what it is…<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n An offering of something precious. \u00a0Precious.<\/p>\n A giving up of something for the sake of someone else.<\/p>\n Selfless.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n What it\u2019s not….<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n An offering of something worthless. \u00a0Worthless.<\/p>\n A giving up of something for one\u2019s own<\/strong><\/em> sake \u2014 i.e. for publicity, attention, or “impression management.”<\/p>\n Selfish.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n What today\u2019s culture often acts<\/em> as if it is…<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Something we expect of someone else.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n At this point in our fans-in-the-stands conversation, with now multiple adults chiming in, I suppose our one young person may have been overwhelmed, but to her credit, she listened attentively for a final question, confused with culture’s overuse of a word that made little sense…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo what\u2019s the opposite<\/strong> of \u2018sacrifice\u2019?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n A short pause and then…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIndulgence.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cEntitlement.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cExpectation.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hence, all the Intramuralist offers this day is one simple question in response:<\/p>\n Which is more prominent in today\u2019s culture… \u00a0sacrifice?\u00a0 … or indulgence, entitlement, and expectation?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I wonder what the long term impact is… indulgence without consequence, entitlement in place of individual responsibility, all arguably, while feeling entitled. \u00a0I wonder how the prominence of such self-focused, guised virtues affects people and policy…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Perhaps that discerning parent was right.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think many today have any comprehension of what it means to sacrifice.\u201d<\/em> \u00a0 Hearing the word and knowing what it means are two totally different things.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Respectfully,<\/p>\n AR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A great discussion occurred at the ballpark yesterday. \u00a0In one of those slow moments, hoping to teach our children well, one young person asked one huge question… \u201cWhat does it mean to sacrifice?\u201d Ah, terrific question! \u00a0She has heard the word often in today\u2019s culture… \u00a0\u00a0\u201cshared sacrifice\u201d…\u00a0 \u201ca sacrificial lamb\u201d…\u00a0 \u201csacrifice bunt\u201d…\u00a0 \u201csacrifice … <\/p>\n