Meeting Heroes on the Road
One of the favorite parts of my job is meeting believers who are often not “household names” or national celebrities—but simply leaders in their communities and circles of influence making a difference for the Kingdom of God.
This week I interviewed two men who are just that—but who also qualify as heroes in my book. Merriam-Webster defines a hero as someone who is admired for great or brave acts. I also define a hero as someone who intentionally gives up an easy life for a harder life—because they believe the Lord has a mission for them. Both of these men qualify under both definitions.
Dr. Rick Sacra is the real deal. He has worked in Liberia as a doctor for the missions agency SIM for 15 years. In recent years, family circumstances have kept him based in Holden, Massachusetts but he continues to travel and serve in Liberia several times a year. The last time he volunteered was in August, 2014—at the height of the Ebola outbreak. He went anyway and the rest of his story has played out in the national media as he contracted Ebola and was able to successfully fight it.
This week he heads back to Liberia for another month of service. Doctors say he’s now immune to the deadly virus—but who really knows? There’s no way to ethically test that possibility. As I spoke with him and his wife Debbie I was struck by their life of sacrifice. He has literally put his life on the line for the sake of the Gospel and serving others. As a doctor, Sacra could have led a much easier life in the US—with many more material comforts --but he and his wife have chosen a different path. It’s a beautiful thing to see up close—and the joy they have in the Lord is clear.
On the other side of Boston, Dr. Michael Lindsay, the president of Gordon College, has chosen a journey that’s probably much more difficult than the successful professor track he started on. As a Princeton-trained sociologist with a Pulitzer-nominated book he could have continued as well-known published professor. Instead, he chose to lead a solidly Christian college in the heart of liberal New England.
His leadership is under the microscope right now as critics and neighboring communities have challenged Gordon’s historic behavioral standards on sexuality (they prohibit sex outside of marriage and “homosexual practice” ). Where the debate heads is unclear but Lindsay’s leadership under fire is compelling and encouraging to watch.