Emptied and Humbled: The Path to True Sacrificial Love
Written by Dr. Vicky Tusken
During The Year of the Father, we have encountered remarkable fathers whose love appears to know no limits. On the surface, their stories clearly illustrate sacrificial love—a love that, in one way or another, leads to both death and redemption. However, I find myself wanting to probe deeper—to better understand the connection between the characters—and to begin to truly comprehend what it means to engage in sacrificial love.
The characters of Jeremiah Land in Peace Like a River and Kino in The Pearl have challenged me to consider what it means to give of oneself completely—to lay everything on the line. What do these two characters have in common? What enables them to love in such a sacrificial way?
As Christians, we need not look further than Scripture to understand the nature of true sacrifice. In Philippians, St. Paul writes:
“…who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant …and he humbled himself and became obedient to death.” (Philippians 2:6-8, NIV)
In some translations, “made himself nothing,” is literally translated “emptied himself.” Consider that for a moment—emptied and humbled.
Does true sacrificial love require death? No, I don’t believe that’s the message St. Paul, Jeremiah, or Kino are conveying. The challenge lies within those two words: empty and humble—concepts that stand in stark contrast to our 21st-century mindset.
Fr. Richard Rohr writes:
“God seems to have hidden holiness and wholeness in a secret place where only the humble will find it…It is God’s greatest surprise and God’s constant disguise, but we only know it to be true by going through it and coming out on the other side.” (Daily Meditations, January 4, 2024)
His words prompt me to ask myself two self-examining questions:
- What in my intellect and actions makes me feel the need to impress or be accepted?
- What steps must I take to empty and humble myself in order to love and give more unconditionally?
As I continue my journey during the Year of the Father, may God direct and empower me to humble and empty myself into true and sacrificial love.
About Dr. Vicky Tusken
Over the past year, Vicky and her husband relocated to Crosby, Minnesota, to be closer to their children in the Twin Cities, after living in north central Illinois for over 30 years. She is a retired educator, having served as both a classroom teacher and a school district administrator in the K-12 realm, in addition to working as a part-time adjunct professor. Her winter pastimes include reading, writing, yoga, and knitting. When the weather warms up, she shifts to gardening and hiking, while still enjoying reading, writing, and yoga—though knitting goes out the window.
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