Shabbat Sermon: Purpose Has a Real Cost—And It Is What Gives Our Lives Meaning with Rabbi Wes Gardenswartz

From the very moment the downed airman landed in Iran after ejecting from his plane, he knew the clock was ticking. He knew that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps would be hunting for him. He knew that local tribes might find him first. He knew that if he were caught by the enemy, it would dramatically complicate an already complicated war. He was concussed. He was injured. And he was trained for just this moment.

As has been widely reported, he somehow summoned the strength to climb a steep, treacherous mountain and to hide himself in rugged terrain, knowing something else as well: that the US Army would leave no stone unturned in order to find him. And thank God, they did.

His rescue was breathtaking. It put the lives of other elite soldiers at risk. It required extraordinary planning and coordination deep in enemy territory. It involved airpower, helicopters,and equipment costing millions of dollars—some of which was damaged or destroyed in the effort.

All of it was done in service of one overarching purpose: leave no soldier behind. Abandon no one.

As I followed this story of rescue and redemption, I could only think of a teaching I once heard on Andy Stanley’s leadership podcast which was entitled “The Catch with Purpose.” Andy noted thatwe all want purpose. But purpose comes with what he called a “catch.” Purpose exacts real costs. The things we care most about, the causes to which we give our heart and soul, make demands upon us. We lose sleep. We sweat out the details. And caring so much and giving so much are precisely what give our lives meaning.