The Man with the Golden Arm
June 18, 2015
Ephesians 1:7 “He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.”
James Harrison of Australia looks like an ordinary guy. So why does he have the nickname, “the man with the golden arm?” Back when he was fourteen years old, James had an emergency surgery, and his life was saved in part because of blood donors, so he made a pledge to become a donor when he got old enough. James has kept that pledge and then some, donating blood plasma nearly every week for the past 60 years. But that’s not all that makes James amazing: his blood, it turns out, contains a rare antibody that is needed to produce the medicine needed to prevent Rhesus disease, a birth complication caused when a mother and child’s blood types don’t line up. To date, James’s blood has helped to save the lives of 2 million babies. Two million people alive today because of one man–no wonder they call him the man with the golden arm! Thinking about the gift James has given reminds me of two things: first, the infinite value of the blood of Jesus, that has given eternal life to billions of people. Second, the debt of gratitude we all owe, because we are redeemed by the blood of Jesus, to do all that we can to share that life-saving message with others in word and deed.
James Harrison of Australia looks like an ordinary guy. So why does he have the nickname, “the man with the golden arm?” Back when he was fourteen years old, James had an emergency surgery, and his life was saved in part because of blood donors, so he made a pledge to become a donor when he got old enough. James has kept that pledge and then some, donating blood plasma nearly every week for the past 60 years. But that’s not all that makes James amazing: his blood, it turns out, contains a rare antibody that is needed to produce the medicine needed to prevent Rhesus disease, a birth complication caused when a mother and child’s blood types don’t line up. To date, James’s blood has helped to save the lives of 2 million babies. Two million people alive today because of one man–no wonder they call him the man with the golden arm! Thinking about the gift James has given reminds me of two things: first, the infinite value of the blood of Jesus, that has given eternal life to billions of people. Second, the debt of gratitude we all owe, because we are redeemed by the blood of Jesus, to do all that we can to share that life-saving message with others in word and deed.
– Ken Roach
Great thought, Ken! If we will all use our gifts in the way god intended; what great good can be accomplished. Prayers and Praise!
Matt