In today's GB News Daily Reflection, we look at the fascinating story of Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish priest who lived during the Second World War.He was rounded up by the Nazis and sent to Auschwitz.One day, in response to the escape of a Polish prisoner, the camp commander rounded up 10 men at random, who were sentenced to death by starving.Kolbe volunteered to take the place of one man selected.
00:04Hello, my name is Johnny Dade and I'm a vicar in the Church of England.
00:11I came across the story of Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish priest who lived during the Second World War.
00:20Like millions of others, he was rounded up by the Nazis and interned in Auschwitz concentration camp.
00:30One day, in response to the escape of a Polish prisoner, the camp commander rounded up ten men at random and sentenced them to be starved to death.
00:46One of the selected men, called Franszicek, cried out,
00:50No, my wife, my children!
00:53And moved by the man's plight, Maximilian Kolbe volunteered to take his place.
01:02He died so Franszicek might live.
01:06In the Bible, St. John, who we were introduced to yesterday, said,
01:11This is love. This is how God showed his love for us.
01:17He sent Jesus.
01:19This, says John, is the definition of love.
01:23Not that we loved first, but rather that Christ demonstrated love by sacrificing himself for us.
01:34Love in the Christian tradition is inextricably linked to sacrifice.
01:41In contrast to how love is so often presented in our culture,
01:46God's love is not about self-gratification, but rather self-emptying.
01:53If love costs us nothing, it probably isn't worth very much.
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